Finally a Lead
by Kesterpan
Summary: Fourth story in my Paranormal Encounters series. Months after their last encounter with the paranormal, Tony and Gibbs have another - but this time they end up with a lead that might eventually give them some answers. Gibbs/Tony slash, but nothing at all explicit.
1. Chapter 1

"DiNozzo!"

Tony's head shot up, his attention turning away from the attractive hotel manager. "On your six, Boss!" He gave her a big smile, then set out at a fast walk, catching up to the rest of the team as they rounded the corner of the building.

Gibbs motioned for McGee and Ziva to fan out and look for evidence on their approach to the fountain splashing merrily in the middle of the lush green lawn. He paused, surveying the scene, not looking at Tony as his second in command came to a halt at his side. Gibbs saw McGee turn to glance at them; he reached up and head-slapped Tony, perhaps a little harder than usual.

"Ow! Thank you, Boss." Tony glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. "You know I'm just keeping up appearances, right?" he asked in a low voice.

Gibbs grunted, then gave him another tap on the head, lighter this time, letting his fingers drift gently through Tony's hair before dropping his hand to his side. "Yeah, Tone, I know."

Tony relaxed and smiled, savoring the happy zing of emotion chasing through him at the sound of his nickname. No one had ever called him that before… it was his and Gibbs' alone. Tony shot Gibbs a smoldering glance, his smile widening as their eyes met. Gibbs rolled his, shook his head, muttered something about being obvious, then set off toward the fountain and the body lying half in the water.

Tony's smile grew into a full-blown grin as he began taking pictures of the crime scene. His mind was only half on the job as he thought back over the reasons for the flirting and the head slaps. Back before The Hotel Incident That Shall Never Be Spoken Of Again, before The Elevator Incident, before The Water Wench… that wasn't necessarily the best name for that particular fright, but he liked the alliteration… Tony and Gibbs were coworkers and friends. Now, with a little push from the supernatural, they were coworkers and friends and in a deeply committed relationship. It had been months since his encounter with The Water Wench, last fall in fact, and Tony was finally convinced that all the strange scenes were in the past. He spent most of his time off the job with Jethro, and had never been so happy.

Tony turned at the sound of voices, watching as Ducky and Jimmy approached. Jimmy carried the gurney, Ducky had his medical bag. Tony raised the camera and took their picture, returning Jimmy's big smile and winking at Ducky, who lowered his head and peered meaningfully at him over the rim of his glasses. Ducky knew about him and Gibbs, having walked in on them in Gibbs' basement a few weeks back. He fully supported their relationship, and it was nice to have someone who could help them cover when needed.

He turned to see Gibbs glaring at him again, so he jogged over to the fountain just as the water stopped flowing and began taking pictures of the dead Navy Lieutenant, doing his best to ignore the lake fifty yards beyond.

The man was out of uniform, his legs and lower body submerged, his upper body resting against the structure's wall. His head hung back, eyes wide open and staring blankly, nicely framing the arrow piercing his forehead. McGee was talking with the police officer who'd been the first to arrive on scene; they were joined by the hotel manager, who caught Tony's eye and smiled. Tony returned the smile, then, feeling Gibbs' eyes on him, moved closer to the corpse to hear Ducky's initial assessment.

"Cause of death does appear quite obvious, but let us avoid making any assumptions until I get him back to autopsy," the ME mused.

"That's a strange-looking arrow, Dr. Mallard," Jimmy commented.

"Indeed." Ducky touched the shaft lightly, just above where it penetrated the skull. "Abigail will need to verify, but I do believe it's made of silver."

"Silver?" Tony exclaimed. He leaned over to get a closer look. "What, did someone think this guy was a werewolf?"

Gibbs snorted, but he exchanged worried glances with Tony.

Ducky chuckled, getting to his feet. "We need not be concerned… this poor man won't be able to respond to tonight's full moon, regardless of his status when he was living." He turned to Gibbs. "I can't give you a reliable time of death yet, Jethro, given his partial submersion. We can take him now, if you're through."

Gibbs nodded. "Might as well, Duck. Long drive back." He looked at his watch, then turned to the hotel manager as she drew near. "Do you have any rooms available? Gonna take us a while to investigate this."

She nodded, sneaking another glance at Tony. "How many do you need?"

Gibbs thought for a moment. "Three. Ziva and McGee each get a room. DiNozzo, you're with me."

Tony glanced at the hotel manager, who looked disappointed. "But, Boss…"

"No buts, DiNozzo. Not having a repeat of last time."

McGee snickered quietly while Tony pouted. Gibbs asked to see the Lieutenant's room and set off back to the building with the manager.

McGee waited until Gibbs disappeared around the corner, then grinned at Tony. "He is _never_ going to let you live that down."

Tony sighed dramatically. "It wasn't really my fault."

McGee's eyebrows rose. "You were creeping around the place trying to find that girl's room. Hotel security almost had you arrested. How is that not your fault?"

Ducky spared Tony having to respond. "Would one of you help Mr. Palmer remove the body?"

Tony gestured toward the fountain with a flourish. McGee scowled. "What is it with you and water now? I'm always the one getting wet."

"Senior field agent privilege, McSwimmer."

McGee grumbled, but moved to give Jimmy a hand.

"I have found something!"

Tony turned at the sound of Ziva's voice and moved toward the large trees at the edge of the lawn. He looked around but didn't see her.

"Up here."

He approached one of the trees and looked up. She was halfway up the tree, taking pictures of the large branch directly above her. "This branch shows some damage… some of the bark is missing. It is clearly recent. And I found this on the ground directly below." She tossed an object down to Tony, who caught it one-handed. It looked like some sort of plastic buckle.

"How's the line of sight?" he called up to her, putting the buckle into an evidence bag.

She stood up straight, using one hand to steady herself against the trunk, then crouched a bit, extending her arm and pointing, squinting toward the lawn. "Clear shot to the fountain."

"Nice job, Ziva." He stepped back a pace as she landed on her feet directly in front of him.

She scrutinized him for a moment, then nodded her thanks. "Are you going to spend the night with the manager?" She smiled a little as she spoke.

Tony shook his head. "No," he grumbled. "Gibbs has me sharing a room with him."

"Ah." She tilted her head slightly and gazed at him thoughtfully. "I was under the impression you were seeing someone."

"What? Why?"

She shrugged. "You seem happy. You have not glued McGee to anything in months."

"Maybe I just got bored with that one. I could glue you to something instead."

"Only if you wish to die by paperclip."

Tony managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes. "You done here? We should go help Gibbs."

They headed back to the hotel, trailing behind Ducky and Jimmy bringing the body to the van. Tony heard the fountain splash back to life again, and he turned to look. The sun was starting to go down, casting an eerie light over the lawn. Tony thought he caught some movement at the corner of his eye, and he turned quickly to peer at the trees. A branch moved slightly; he thought it was the same tree Ziva had been in, but wasn't sure. "Probably just a squirrel," he muttered as he turned back to follow the others.

Several hours later, after canvassing the hotel and having dinner with the team, Tony gazed at the walls of the room he was sharing with Gibbs. "Somebody sure does like turtles."

"Ya think?"

Tony moved closer to a model of a sea turtle, painted in several bright green colors, that was sitting on top of a desk. "McGee said he has tigers. And Ziva gets horses. We get turtles?"

Gibbs moved behind Tony, his arms encircling his lover's waist, and rested his chin on Tony's shoulder. "What do you have against turtles?"

"Nothing really… tigers and horses are cooler, that's all."

Gibbs shook his head and dropped a kiss on Tony's neck. "The sea turtle is making you think of the ocean, which is making you think of the lake, which is making you think of that… thing. In the water."

Tony turned to face him. "Got it in one. You should be an investigator."

"Been months, Tone. I think we're in the clear."

Tony sighed and sat on one of the double beds. "But why did it all happen in the first place?"

Gibbs shook his head, sitting next to him. "Dunno. Probably won't ever know."

Tony nodded. "True." He looked around the room, then smiled and headed over the balcony doors. "Enough of that. Look, Jethro… we're all alone in a swank hotel room, we have a balcony – that's really romantic, you know? Tons of classic romantic movies with balcony scenes. Tim and Ziva are all the way on the other side of the building on the first floor… and me pretending to try to hook up with some girl last time threw them off our trail. We can indulge ourselves."

Gibbs smiled, watching as Tony looked out the French doors into the moonlit night. He was getting up to turn off the overhead light when the tremor in Tony's voice stopped him.

"Uh, Jethro… I think you better get over here."

Gibbs moved quickly to Tony's side. Their room faced the lawn, the fountain, the woods, and the large lake beyond. Moonlight, reflected off the water as well as shining down from above, lit the entire area. Three stories down, near the fountain, numerous forms slunk toward the trees.

"Are those – wolves?" Tony whispered.

Gibbs stared out the window. "Yeah."

There was a sharp click right in front of them; both agents' hands were instantly on their weapons. The French doors slowly swung open into the room – by themselves.

"1950s B horror movie," Tony muttered, his voice shaking slightly. Gibbs reached up with one hand, resting it lightly on Tony's back; he kept the other on the butt of his gun, just in case. Both men moved forward slowly, stepping out onto the balcony.

The hotel was eerily silent. Quick glances to either side showed no lights in any rooms and no one else on any balconies. The wolves pacing across the lawn slowed and stopped. One of them looked up at the two men, eyes glittering in the moonlight. Its head suddenly swung forward, ears pricked, facing the woods.

Tree branches were shaking, moving as if something heavy were landing on them. Winged shapes erupted from the trees, some shooting out into the sky, others landing on the grass. Then, silently, the two groups converged, slamming into each other.

Tony and Gibbs watched as fangs and claws flashed in the moonlight. Blood flowed from wounds, visible as dark patches on the grass. The fight was entirely physical on the ground; arrows occasionally flew from the air, but the wolves seemed to know they were coming and most of them dodged successfully.

"It's not a B horror flick," Tony said in a shaky voice, "it's Underworld."

Neither man could have said how long the battle lasted. It ended as suddenly as it began; the wolves backed away, then turned and moved off, dragging their few fallen companions with them. The winged shapes picked up their own dead or wounded, melting back into the trees until only one remained, staring up at the balcony and the two agents, who stared back.

The wings lifted, beat strongly, and then the being landed on the balcony as Gibbs and Tony stepped back into the room.

It moved to follow them, stepping into the light. Too tall, too thin, too pale, eyes too large, hair too dark, dressed all in black. The wings folded behind it, forming a cape.

No one spoke. It stared at each of them in turn, blinking one or twice, too slowly. Fangs that extended past closed lips glinted as it moved. Gibbs' grip tightened on his gun, but he didn't draw it. Tony's breathing was fast and shallow.

The thing turned suddenly toward the nearest bed, tossing something onto it; whatever it was landed with a dull thump. Both men kept their eyes on the monster. It stared back, then inclined its head slightly. Gliding backwards, it moved out onto the balcony; the wings lifted and unfurled, and it was gone.

Tony ran onto the balcony, practically spinning as he checked above and below, gun raised. "Clear," he called out, before coming back into the room, then closing and locking the doors.

Gibbs took his hand off his gun and watched Tony shut out the moonlight with the curtains. Then the younger man turned to face him. "Jethro…"

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't know, Tony."

Their gazes met, then as one they turned to the bed to look down at the thick, leather-bound book lying next to the pillow. The cover was a dark brown, etched with an ivory symbol representing eight arrows radiating from a central point. Gibbs reached out and opened it, revealing thin, spidery writing in no language he'd ever seen. Letting it fall closed, he turned to look at Tony, finding him staring back.

"We're supposed to read that, aren't we?" Tony asked.

"Guess so."

"How are we going to understand it?"

They looked at each other for a moment, then simultaneously said, "Abby."

 _Author's Note: I'm thrilled to be back writing again. Hoping not only to continue this one, but also to get back to my FIOverse. Apologies for the long absence! Despite wonderful prompts from several readers, I couldn't seem to motivate to write. Yesterday I pulled out my Rory's Story Cubes, and rolled the following: tentative happy face, arrows radiating from a central point, sea turtle, tree, book, directional arrow, fountain, demon, fletched arrow. Apparently it worked!_


	2. Chapter 2

Sharing

Tony shifted in the passenger seat for what seemed like the thousandth time. Their investigation at the hotel had turned up exactly zero leads… not that either he or Gibbs were surprised. There was nothing in the Lieutenant's room, nothing seen by any of the guests – not even the battle the two men witnessed. Every single person in that hotel had been so exhausted that night, they'd gone to sleep early.

Gibbs had sent Ziva and McGee back to DC early, telling them to follow up with the Lieutenant's family and work life. He didn't think they'd find anything, but they had to go through the motions.

Gibbs glanced over at his second as he adjusted his seat belt yet again. "What's on your mind?" he asked mildly.

Tony huffed noisily. "This ruins our streak. We haven't had a case go cold in what – over a year?"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "That really what's bothering you?"

Tony sighed and turned to look at Gibbs. "Maybe fifteen, twenty percent. The rest is that… thing. The book. How the hell are we going to explain this to Abby?"

Gibbs shrugged and changed lanes, ignoring the blare of the horn from the car he cut off. "We tell her the truth."

"Really?"

"Sure. If anyone is going to accept it, she will."

Tony laughed quietly. "She's gonna flip."

They fell silent for a while, until they were getting close to the Navy Yard. "Think I wanna bring Ducky in on this too," Gibbs said.

"Okay. Ducky's cool."

"We may have to tell Abby about us. You good with that?"

Tony looked down, picking at his pant leg. "She's either gonna be pissed or be thrilled."

"Probably both."

"At once," Tony said, a slight smile on his face.

Later that day, Gibbs went down to Autopsy to get an update, while Tony continued to dive into the Lieutenant's life with the rest of the team. "Hey, Duck."

"Jethro! You're just in time… Mr. Palmer is putting the finishing touches on Lieutenant Conrad."

"Cause of death the arrow?"

"Indeed. Otherwise the man was in perfect health – perhaps almost too perfect."

"How d'ya mean?"

"According to his file, John Conrad was thirty-nine. When we performed the usual biochemical tests on his internal organs, however, he appeared to be a good ten years younger."

"Health nut?"

Ducky looked down at the body, considering. "Perhaps. His stomach contents included prodigious amounts of fast food, but that could be an anomaly." He turned toward Gibbs. "I am sorry we don't have more for you, Jethro. Other than the silver arrow, there's simply nothing to go on. No drug or alcohol use in evidence, no other visible injuries."

Gibbs nodded, looking at the body. "Team's turning up nothing. Looks like this one's going nowhere fast."

"That's a disappointment… not to mention unusual."

"Happens sometimes. Listen, you free for dinner tonight? My place?"

Ducky smiled. "Quite. What's the occasion?"

"Need some advice… got a bit of a situation, think maybe you and Abby can help us out."

"Have you finally told her about the two of you?"

"Not yet… have a feeling that's coming soon."

Meanwhile, Tony had gone to Abby's lab. He handed her a Caf-Pow with a flourish; she looked at it, then shook her head.

Tony reached out and laid the back of his hand against her forehead. "You feeling okay, Abs?"

She leaned in to his side. "I'm fine. I just don't deserve caffeinated goodness." She pointed accusingly at the arrow lying on the table. "I can't get anything out of this. I know its chemical composition, which is a cement core surrounded by ninety four percent silver, five percent copper, and one percent trace elements. This arrow was built for momentum, not speed… the victim's skull might as well have not been there. I'm surprised it didn't go all the way through his head… probably he was shot from a really long distance, which means someone is one hell of a marksman. I can't find any manufacturer for this arrow, which means it was likely homemade, so I can't track it down. There's no similar arrow used in any crime in any database I search. No fingerprints. I can't give you guys a lead."

"You still get a Caf-Pow for trying, Abby. We're not having any luck either."

Abby pursed her lips, then accepted the offering, slurping about a quarter of it down before she asked Tony, "So what's next?"

"Next is you and me and Ducky if he can come at Gibbs' place tonight… we need to talk to you two."

Her eyes widened. "Team meeting?"

"No, just the four of us. Tim and Ziva don't need to be there this time."

Abby's eyes narrowed. "So, they don't know about it, do they?"

"Nope, and we'd kind of like to keep it that way. Don't want hurt feelings."

"You're being awfully free with that 'we,' aren't you?"

Tony sighed. "It fits."

Abby stared at him for a moment, her smile slowly growing. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Not a mind reader, don't know what you're thinking." Tony gave her a big smile.

She snorted. "Those don't work on me, buster. That's okay, I'll use my powers of observation tonight. What time?"

"Seven thirty good for you?"

She slurped up some more Caf-Pow. "Yup. Should I bring anything?"

"Nah, we'll order in."

"There's that 'we' again."

Tony impulsively pulled her into a hug, then left the lab, with Abby staring after him in surprise.

After dinner, they settled in the living room, Abby curled up on the couch next to Gibbs, Ducky and Tony seated in arm chairs. Tony and Gibbs exchanged a long, silent look, and then Tony began. "So, last September, Gibbs and I went out to this hotel, investigating Petty Officer Riggs' murder…"

Ducky and Abby were fascinated by the story, although at first Ducky had a hard time believing them. He remained dubious, even after Abby reminded him that the knife with the Petty Officer's blood had also had that of a woman. "I am surprised, Jethro, that you didn't pursue the investigation into her death as well."

Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I know, Duck. Believe me… I've kicked myself over that more than a few times." He looked at Tony, then held out his hand. Tony hesitated, then leaned forward and took it in his own, interlacing their fingers. "Couldn't risk the same thing happening to Tony, not when we were finally starting to realize we had something more than friendship. I did pass the information on to the right jurisdiction after Abby got the ID."

Tony glanced at Abby, who stared at their joined hands, squealed delightedly, then quickly planted a kiss on Gibbs' cheek. She jumped up, did the same to Tony, then punched him in the arm before sitting back down on the couch. She punched Gibbs' arm too, then snuggled into his side. "I'm so happy for you guys… but if you'd waited one more month, I would have won the pool."

"Well," Tony began, "it kinda depends on exactly what the pool was about. See, it wasn't until October that we -" He was abruptly cut off when Gibbs pulled on the hand he held, moving Tony close enough to receive a thwack on the head with his other hand. Tony grinned at him and mimed zipping his lips shut. Gibbs shook his head, smiling, and told him to get on with it. Abby and Ducky exchanged glances and smiles.

Tony described what happened at the warehouse. Abby was upset about the dogs; there were angry tears in her eyes. "We need to do something!"

"What would you suggest, Abigail?" Ducky asked her gently.

"I have a friend who knows` a medium. Give me the address, and I'll get him over there – he can try to help them cross over."

"We'll see, Abs," Gibbs said. "Dangerous situation. Those dogs killed Petty Officer Jonas Bartlett."

"We still have to do something."

Then the situation with the Water Wench. Ducky and Abby were both startled by that one. "A kelpie?" Ducky exclaimed, looking very surprised. "What would such a creature be doing in America?"

"Don't they usually appear as horses?" Abby asked him.

"Yes, but that would be to lure children. Legend says they could take the form of a beautiful woman to lure unwary adult men."

"I wasn't lured," Tony said. "I was grabbed."

"You're lucky you survived the encounter."

"Yeah."

"Then there's what happened last night," Gibbs said, wanting to avoid thinking about Tony almost dying.

Tony described the battle they witnessed, the supposed vampire that confronted them, and the book. Gibbs got up, went to the bookshelf, and brought the book back, handing it to Ducky, who took it and joined Abby on the couch so they could both look at it. Gibbs sat in the chair opposite Tony.

"Wow," Abby breathed, "maybe we're looking at something from the spirit realm! Wisdom from the afterlife!"

"I hate to disagree with you, my dear, but I do believe this is Old Irish."

"Aw, really?"

"Yes… eighth or ninth century, if memory serves."

Tony leaned forward. "Can you tell us what it says?"

Ducky laughed. "My dear boy, the fact that I recognize it doesn't mean I can actually _read_ it!"

"Where did you learn to recognize it?" Abby asked.

"At university. I had a roommate who majored in the classics. I used to help him study, and as a result picked up quite a bit of the basics."

"So how are we going to find out what it says?" Tony demanded.

Abby got up and ran to her bag, pulling out a laptop. The she hesitated. "Do you have Wi-Fi, Gibbs?"

He nodded. "Had to get it, with Tony spending so much time here."

"Awesome." Within a few minutes, she was typing furiously. "Yep, here we go…" She looked up at them all triumphantly. "Found an open access translator… some university in Europe. Austria? Anyway – I can scan all the pages in, get a translation, probably by tomorrow night?"

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other, then back at her. Tony nodded slowly. "Would be awfully nice to find out why all this keeps happening."

Abby nodded eagerly. "I can take the day off… HR's been on my case 'cause I have so many days piled up."

Gibbs hesitated. Tony got up and went to him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "She's already processed the arrow, Jethro. We've got nothing else for her. Might as well try to go after this from another angle."

Abby nodded enthusiastically, looking at Gibbs with wide eyes. He looked at the book in Ducky's hands, then nodded. "Yeah. Do it."

Ducky closed the book and handed it to her. "I for one would very much like to be present for the reveal," he commented.

"Of course, Duck. Tomorrow, same time, unless we catch a new case?"

"Dispatch won't likely assign us anything," Tony offered. "It'll be another few days before we can say we've come up empty on Conrad's murder."

Abby shut down her laptop and got ready to leave, clearly excited to get started. Gibbs went to her and pulled her into a hug. "Don't work all night, Abs. Waited this long, don't have to get it all tomorrow."

Abby returned the hug. "Don't worry, I want my brain firing on all cylinders for this one." She raised her lips to his ear, whispering. "Good for you, getting Tony. He'll make you happy, Bossman."

"Already does, Abs."

She pulled away, giving him a brilliant smile. She hugged Tony and Ducky, then grabbed her bag and left.

Ducky was pulling on his jacket. "You two will be careful, won't you? There appear to be some strange forces at work, and for some reason they seem to be focused on you."

"We noticed," Tony replied unhappily.

"Not all bad, Tone," Gibbs commented. "Got us together, didn't it?"

Tony shot him a mock glare, then smiled. "Yeah, and I can't complain about that."

Ducky watched them look at each other, and smiled. "I continue to be very pleased for you both. You're good for each other."

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs walked him to the door, where they spoke briefly.

Tony went to the kitchen to begin cleaning up. He heard the front door open and shut, then Gibbs joined him, carrying some of the glasses and bottles from the living room.

"That went well," Gibbs said.

"Yeah." Tony hesitated, then shut off the water, put down the sponge and soapy dishes, and turned to him, leaning against the counter. "Can't decide if I'm anticipating or dreading hearing what Abby finds out."

Gibbs chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm with you." He motioned toward the sink and picked up a dish towel. "Wash. I'll dry."

Tony smiled and went back to work. "Guess it'll be good to know something… be prepared. In case this stuff keeps happening."

Gibbs nodded, leaning in to Tony for a moment before taking the dish out of his hands and drying it.

Outside, hiding in the bushes lining the driveway, a large wolf crouched. It had watched the woman and the old man drive off, then refocused on the house, growling softly as it breathed.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony paced in the living room, looking out the window every few seconds.

"Not gonna get them here any faster, Tone."

"I know. It's just…"

"Yeah." Gibbs walked over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Be nice to know why we keep having these… encounters."

Tony nodded. "And it was a long, boring day. When was the last time we had no lead whatsoever on a case? It's just wrong."

Gibbs' lips twitched. "Got leads, just not any we can follow." He grinned at Tony's morose grumble. "Thought Ziva was finally gonna throw one of those knives at you."

"No kidding."

They fell silent as they saw Ducky's Morgan pull up to the curb. They watched him get out of the car and walk around the front, opening the passenger-side door for Abby and taking her hand as she stepped out.

"She looks upset," Tony fretted.

Gibbs sighed. "Better not let her know we're disappointed if she didn't get us any answers."

Tony's eyes widened. "What if she did get answers, and they're horrible answers? What if we're up against the worst, most evil Big Bad ever seen?"

"Big Bad?"

Gibbs didn't get an explanation; Tony went to open the front door and wait for their friends to enter.

Abby gave him a one-armed hug on her way in, then went to give one to Gibbs. She held the book in her other arm; Gibbs could see pieces of paper sticking out from underneath the front cover.

They greeted Ducky, then went to the living room, sitting in the same seats as the previous night. Abby took the papers out from the book, and shuffled through them for a moment before looking up at them all. "I'm so sorry… I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't find what you needed."

"Did the translating program not work?" Ducky asked, laying his hand on her arm.

"Oh, it worked, or at least it mostly, well, sort of half worked."

Tony cleared his throat and shot Gibbs an apprehensive look before he spoke. "So, no idea why we're dealing with all this weirdness?"

Abby shook her head. "The book… it's a combination of history and mysticism. It's all about werewolves… you'd think there'd be a werewolf on the cover instead of all these arrows, or maybe just a wolf – or would they look the same?"

"Abs," Gibbs said gently.

"Right." She took a deep breath. "The first part of the book is a history of werewolves. They seem to have originated in Eastern Europe, did you know that?"

Ducky smiled. "I would never have considered werewolves anything more than a fairy tale before last night. It wouldn't have occurred to me to wonder about their origins."

"There's lots of stuff on different packs, tracing genealogy, migration patterns across the globe. At least, you know, what happened before this book was written when one of the packs moved to Ireland. Nothing about them coming to America, of course, since in the ninth century no one knew about America. Except the Americans."

"Ah!" Ducky exclaimed. "I am delighted to discover that I can still make an appropriate diagnosis as to the time of publication, if you will pardon the expression."

"It's pretty cool," Abby went on, smiling at him, "there's all sorts of info about pack behavior and how the werewolves tried to fit in to human societies. All that Hollywood stuff is way off base."

Tony leaned forward. "What about the mystic stuff? Anything in there that could help us?"

Abby grimaced. "That's where the translator fell apart. I guess there's a lot of terminology it didn't have in its programming… it didn't recognize a lot of words, and that threw off the grammar. The whole second half is basically gobbledygook. There are a few phrases here and there, but nothing that makes any sense." She looked from Tony to Gibbs and back again. "I'm sorry, you guys."

Gibbs sat back, shaking his head. "Then why did that… thing give us the book?"

Tony met his eyes. "We broke rule eight, Jethro. We assumed because it gave us the book that the book would tell us what we wanted to know. But what if its reasons had nothing to do with us? Or at least nothing to do with our problem?"

They brainstormed what those reasons might be for the next couple of hours, through dinner and then over coffee. No one was in the mood for more than a single beer, and Gibbs' gut told him they needed to keep their heads in the game, so he stayed away from the bourbon.

Eventually Ducky patted Abby's arm and rose to his feet. "It's getting late, my dear. Can I give you a ride home?"

Abby smiled and nodded, then turned to Gibbs. "I can try to find a better translator… or maybe see if there's an expert in Old Irish at some university who could help us?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Thanks, Abs, but I don't think we want to bring anyone else into this."

Ducky and Abby made their way to the door, with Tony close behind. Gibbs staying in the living room, stacking plates. He heard the door open, voices and laughter, and then sudden silence followed by someone yelling. He was running for the gun safe on the shelf before he was truly aware of the hideous rumbling growls coming from the entryway. He turned, his gun in one hand, Tony's in the other, to see his friends all backing into the living room, followed by a huge grey shape.

Tony turned toward Gibbs and Gibbs threw him the gun all in one fluid motion. Both men had the gun safeties off and were in shooting stance. Tony moved in front of Abby and Ducky, guiding them out of Gibbs' line of fire.

The massive grey wolf stood at the entrance to the living room, that rumble still coming from deep in its chest. It ignored the guns and the men; its gaze was focused on Abby. It paced forward, head lowered.

Tony pushed Abby further behind him. "Don't suppose you have silver bullets, Jethro?" His voice was unnaturally high.

Gibbs gritted his teeth. Abby had told them the book described the werewolves' immunity to harm, except from silver, fire, or decapitation. They were defenseless. He kept his gun out anyway, reasoning that lead bullets might at least slow the beast down.

Tony lowered his gun, flicking the safety back on. He kept himself between the wolf and Abby. Gibbs had gotten Ducky out of the way; the older man was relatively safe next to the window.

The wolf was circling around Tony, still focused on Abby. Tony moved, his eyes on the wolf, keeping himself between the two of them, his outstretched arm making sure Abby moved with him. Her eyes were wide and horrified.

Gibbs watched closely, waiting for some sort of opening, though he couldn't have said what he'd do with one. He noticed Tony holding his gun by the barrel, ready to use it as a hammer if the wolf attacked. Gibbs pulled his knife from his belt, and debated running to the kitchen for more, but he didn't want to leave Ducky unprotected.

The wolf stopped its forward motion; its head rose, ears pricked, still staring at Abby. Then it slowly turned the other way, still ignoring Tony, pacing in the opposite direction. Tony reversed his own motion, keeping Abby behind him. He stepped forward once; the wolf's attention shifted to him, laying its ears back and snarling. Gibbs read it as a warning. "Tony! Don't antagonize it."

Tony nodded, not taking his eyes off the wolf, backing up to his previous position and resuming his slow circling.

"Jethro!" Ducky hissed from his position in the corner. "I don't believe it means to attack. I once watched one of Mother's corgis..."

"Not exactly a pet dog here, Duck," Gibbs responded. He was still trying to figure out how to break the stalemate.

Suddenly there was a blur of motion from the hall; a second wolf crashed into the first. Tony turned, lifted Abby up into his arms, and bolted for the back of the room, setting her down next to Gibbs. They all stared at the writhing, snarling, furry grey and black mass of muscle and fangs that whirled through the room.

There was a high-pitched yelp, and the flurry of movement stopped as quickly as it had begun. One of the wolves, Gibbs was sure it was the first one, lay on its side, breathing heavily, its neck extended beneath the fangs of the even larger, darker wolf that stood over it.

The new wolf lifted its head, growling, and stepped back.

The first wolf got to its feet, head still lowered. The two wolves stared at each other for a moment, then backed off, moving several yards away. Each one was surrounded by a shimmer of light; there were sounds like joints popping, and then two muscular and very naked men stood in Gibbs' living room, still facing each other.

"Oh my," said Ducky, suddenly dropping onto the couch.

Gibbs resisted the urge to cover Abby's eyes with his hand. He relaxed tense muscles, putting his knife back in its sheath.

Tony muttered quietly, "Okay, now that is just not fair." He tucked his gun into his belt.

"Those guys are _hot_ ," Abby exclaimed, taking a step forward from behind Tony. "And the wolf thing? Even hotter."

The first wolf had become a young man with dirty blond hair. The second one had dark brown hair. Both men had beards. The dark-haired man glared at the blond, who looked away. Then the dark-haired man turned to face Gibbs. "My apologies, Special Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs ignored the man's nakedness, just as he ignored Abby's sounds of appreciation. "You know who we are."

The dark-haired man smirked. "Obviously. My name is Daniel, alpha of the Dayton pack from the Shenandoah Valley. This," he gestured toward the other man, "is Patryk, my second." He glared at Patryk and made a growling sound. Patryk whined low in his throat, then lowered his head and turned in Abby's direction. "My apologies, Miss Abigail. I acted without thinking."

Silence descended, until Abby realized she was expected to say something. "Um, sure, no problem?" Her voice was higher than usual.

Daniel smiled, showing very white teeth. "My second is young and impulsive. He has been observing you, and he has no mate. He seems to have decided to attempt to impress you. He will regret his actions more than he already does." He turned in Patryk's direction, his eyes flashing with anger. "I should break you down to omega and elevate Erik to your place, you fool!" He reached out and delivered a stinging head slap, making Patrick cringe.

"Tony," Gibbs said mildly, "go upstairs and get some sweatpants for our guests, would you?"

Tony gave Gibbs a sidelong glance, then brushed past him on his way up. "His head slap has nothing on yours, Jethro," he whispered.

There seemed to be a general agreement to hold off on any further conversation until Tony returned with the sweatpants, tossing a pair to each of their new guests. The two werewolves put them on; Daniel then turned to Gibbs with a questioning expression.

Gibbs gestured to the couch. "Have a seat. Beer?"

Daniel sat, followed by Patryk. "No, thank you," Daniel responded. His eyes fixed on the book that lay on the coffee table. "It is here," he said quietly, clearly relieved.

Abby sat gingerly on one of the arm chairs. "You were following me?" she asked Patryk indignantly. Tony stood next to her, still acting as her protector.

Patryk nodded, glanced at Daniel, then replied. "My task was to follow the book, while Daniel kept watch on your house. We meant to speak with all of you tonight. You are very attractive, and Daniel speaks true – I have no mate. I sought to impress you and thought maybe you would return to Dayton with me."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "You attempted to court a human female as if she were a wolf. No wonder you have no mate."

Patryk glowered at him, but kept quiet.

Gibbs smiled at Tony. "I have some experience with an impulsive second in command."

"Hey!"

Daniel grinned. "You have chosen to keep yours in line by bonding to him. I have respect for Patryk, but not that sort of respect."

Abby looked up at Tony and winked. He sighed heavily.

Ducky leaned forward, fascinated. "I confess to a great deal of curiosity… you said Dayton? That was Lieutenant Conrad's hometown. Was he of your pack?"

Daniel inclined his head. "Yes. A great loss for us."

"Our condolences. And... how did you know Jethro and Anthony were given the book?"

Daniel shifted on the couch. "It is a long story. We have been in conflict with the vampires for many years – "

Tony interrupted. "It _is_ Underworld!"

Daniel laughed. "Not quite. But we had a hand in creating that story. It helps to distract humans from our reality." He turned his attention back to Ducky. "Our conflict had been relatively peaceful of late. We did not encroach on each other's territories, until a few weeks ago, when a young vampire seeking to prove his worth came to Dayton and stole the book." He reached out and touched his fingers lightly to the cover. "This book, it has our history, our rituals. We read from it at ceremonies… matings, births, deaths, and so on." He sat back. "John was our emissary to the vampire community, asking for the return of the book. We aren't clear on why he was killed. He was generally very diplomatic." He looked at Gibbs. "You witnessed the fight that resulted from his death."

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. "Why did we end up with the book?"

"We were winning the fight, although it may not have seemed that way to you. We negotiated a truce. It was decided the vampires would hand the book over to you, a neutral party; we would then collect the book from you. The idea was to avoid further conflict. We were still tending to our wounded when you left, so we tracked the book and were led here."

Ducky looked at Gibbs, then continued. "Jethro and Anthony were hoping the book would explain why they witnessed your battle when everyone else slept. I assume their slumber was imposed rather than natural?"

Daniel nodded. He looked at Gibbs and Tony, his head cocked to one side. "You do not know why you saw us?"

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "Since last September we've encountered ghosts, a kelpie, and now vampires and werewolves. Life was normal before that. We don't get why it's changed."

Patryk looked up, surprised. "You cannot tell that you are marked?"

"Marked?" Tony exclaimed, "What do you mean, marked?"

Daniel nodded. "We can smell it on you." He gazed at them thoughtfully. "Can you describe what happened the first time you encountered a supernatural being?"

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other; Tony then launched into the same story he'd told Ducky and Abby the previous night. He ended up going into far more detail this time, answering the werewolves' questions. Gibbs supplied some things Tony had forgotten. When he was done, Daniel and Patryk looked at each other and spoke quietly in a language that seemed both strange and familiar at the same time.

Patryk turned to Tony. "We think that when the ghost threw you up against the wall, it marked you. When you fell on Gibbs, he was marked as well. And when you became emotionally involved, the bond you formed strengthened the mark."

"It's as if you hold a beacon that attracts otherworldly beings," Daniel added.

"Can we drop it?" Tony asked, his tone plaintive.

"No," Daniel responded, amused. "The mark is a part of you now. If you were to go your separate ways, it would fade over time, but you will always be of interest to the supernatural now."

"Crap," Tony muttered.

"Your combined energy is why you didn't sleep through our fight," Patryk added. "You may be able to use it to your advantage."

Abby straightened in her chair. "You said otherworldly. You mean, like other dimensions?"

Daniel nodded, reaching for the book again and tracking the pattern of arrows on its cover. "I am not a shaman, but I know the basics. We believe there are eight dimensions; we live in one of them. Our ancestors came from another, to this dimension and this world. The dimensions intersect at different times and places; vampires come from yet another one."

"Ghosts," Patryk said, "may be spirits of this dimension who have not crossed over to another, or may instead be from another dimension, crossing over into this one."

"That is so cool!"

Tony spoke up. "So, because we went to that hotel on the one day in the year that it's haunted, Jethro and I are magnets to interdimensional beings and we're gonna keep running into weird stuff for the rest of our lives."

The werewolves nodded.

"Great."

Daniel raised his head and sniffed the air. "It's getting late. We have a long way to travel. If you don't mind, we'll take the book and our leave."

Gibbs nodded. "It's yours; you're welcome to it." He paused, then added, "Thanks for the information."

Daniel inclined his head in a motion eerily reminiscent of the vampire. "You are very welcome. Thank you for the return of our book."

The werewolves stood; Patryk inclined his head to Abby, then strode out of the room. Everyone got up; Abby went to Daniel and pulled him aside, speaking quietly. Gibbs watched until Ducky approached him. "Don't worry, Jethro… I'm sure our Abigail has no intention of running off with a werewolf."

Gibbs smiled slightly. There was a noise in the hall; they all turned to see Patryk back in wolf form, carrying the sweatpants in his jaws. He wore a leather pack strapped around his shoulders and chest. Patryk approached Tony, giving him the sweatpants, and went to Daniel, who picked up the book and put it in the pack, fastening it closed. Patryk stepped back, Daniel stripped off his sweatpants, then shimmered and popped into the form of the wolf. He barked once, and the two wolves turned and headed out the door.

Abby went to Gibbs, who took her in his arms and hugged her. Ducky and Tony just looked at each other; for once, each was at a loss for words. Abby eventually pulled away and led Gibbs to the couch. Everyone sat silently for a moment, until Ducky spoke up.

"If what our new friends say is true, and you are both attracting the supernatural, you will have to tell Timothy and Ziva."

Gibbs nodded. "They need to know the risks." Tony grunted in agreement, but he didn't look happy.

Abby noticed. "Tony?"

"Oh, they need to know… I'm just not sure how I feel about them knowing about me and Jethro being together."

Abby let go of Gibbs' hand and went to Tony, settling into his lap. "They'll be okay. Timmy will be shocked at first, but he'll dig the supernatural stuff… hey, maybe he'll start a whole new series of books!"

Several groans greeted that statement. "As long as he doesn't write Tibbs and Tommy love scenes, I guess I can handle it," Tony grumped. Then he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "What about Ziva?"

Ducky smiled reassuringly. "Ziva will adjust, Anthony. She always does."

Tony nodded, but didn't seem convinced.

"Well," Ducky said, rubbing his hands together, "Jethro, I thank you for a highly enlightening and dare I say entertaining evening! It is now quite late… Abigail?"

She got to her feet. "Give me one sec, Ducky? I have to tell Gibbs something." She took his hand again, pulled him up off the couch, and led him to the kitchen.

Tony watched them go, then turned to Ducky. "Thanks. I know I shouldn't worry so much. It's just…" His voice trailed off.

Ducky patted his shoulder. "I understand. It's difficult telling friends about one closely guarded secret, let alone two." He gazed at Tony thoughtfully. "Ziva is your friend, Anthony. I know the two of you have had many verbal sparring matches. Did you know she and I have tea together at least once a week?"

Tony shook his head.

"I shall not break any confidences, but I will tell you that she will appreciate being taken into _your_ confidence. It may help strengthen your relationship."

Abby came out of the kitchen, running to Tony and hugging him. "Give him a few minutes," she whispered into his ear, and then she and Ducky were gone.

Tony walked slowly to the front door and opened it, watching to make sure they were safely in the car and away. Then he locked the door and headed for the couch, laying his head against the back and closing his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy 2017 to all! Hope it's better than the last has been. I go back to work next week, so I'll be shooting for updates every weekend, although I can't promise to be consistent.**

Revelations

Gibbs sat on the bottom of the basement steps, trying to wrap his head around what Abby had told him.

" _Gibbs! I have to talk to you!" She pulled him into the kitchen, away from the others._

" _What is it, Abs? You're not plannin' on runnin' off with that werewolf, are ya?"_

 _She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, then hesitated, looking down and biting her lower lip. Her gaze met his and the words came out in a rush. "After what Daniel said about ghosts, I got to thinking, so I figured what the heck, and I asked him if werewolves can sense the presence of ghosts. He said yes, so I told him about Shannon and Kelly, and how they died a long time ago, and I asked him if they were here. He said no, there was no sign of any ghosts here at all. He said they probably went on to one of those other dimensions. He said werewolves believe we all reunite in one of those dimensions… I thought you'd want to know." She kissed his cheek, squeezed his hand, and left the room._

Gibbs absently reached up to rub the lipstick off his cheek. He was floored by the fact that Abby had thought of him and his girls in the middle of all the craziness. He wasn't surprised that the idea his girls might be ghosts had never occurred to him; he was glad it hadn't, because he might have been wondering and hoping…

"Jethro? You okay?"

Gibbs looked up to see Tony at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah. Duck and Abs get off alright?"

"Sure. They left half an hour ago."

Gibbs blinked. "That long?"

"Yup." Tony came down the stairs; Gibbs shifted over to make room for him, and Tony sat with his back to the wall. "Kinda why I asked if you were alright."

Gibbs reached out and took Tony's hand in his. "I'm good. Something Abby said."

"Figured… she told me to give you some space." Tony's eyes widened. "She's not running off with Patryk, is she?"

Gibbs snorted. "Doubt it." He took a moment to organize his thoughts. "She asked Daniel if Shannon and Kelly were here… as ghosts. He said no, that they probably moved on to one of the other dimensions." Gibbs took a deep breath. "Also said they believe we all reunite in one of those dimensions."

Tony was silent for a while, rubbing his thumb over the back of Gibbs' hand. Gibbs glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, taking in Tony's worried expression.

"Hey, Tone."

Tony looked at him.

"I'm not in a rush. I like this dimension, here with you."

Tony eyes searched his, then he smiled softly. "That's good to hear, Jethro."

Gibbs returned the smile and leaned into Tony, closing his eyes and listening to his heartbeat.

It was late the next afternoon when Gibbs declared the case a bust. "Write it up, I'll sign off. This one's gone cold."

Ziva threw her hands up in the air. "How can we have not one lead? It is impossible!"

"Obviously not," Tony replied, "'cause hey, look Mom, no leads!"

Ziva stared at him, bewildered. McGee smirked and shook his head. "There's no reason for Lieutenant Conrad to be dead. But he is."

"Chalk it up to experience, McGoo." Tony grabbed some paper from his printer, stapled it, and got up to give it to Gibbs.

"What is that?" McGee asked, suspiciously.

"Uh… my report?"

Ziva stood suddenly, sending her chair backwards into the dividing wall. "How can you be done already? Gibbs only just told us it is over."

Tony grinned at her as he handed the papers to Gibbs. "That's why they pay me the big bucks, boys and girls. I knew it was going this way."

McGee sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You couldn't possibly have known."

"Sure, he could," Gibbs commented mildly as he glanced over Tony's work. "And if the two of you come over to my place after work, we'll explain how."

Deep silence fell over the bullpen. Gibbs looked up, glancing between the two junior agents. "What?"

"You never invite us all over," Ziva said quietly.

"She's right, Boss," McGee said. "Are you okay?"

Gibbs snorted. "I'm fine, Tim."

McGee stood. "You almost never call me Tim."

Ziva approached his desk. "Are you retiring?"

Tony, who'd been trying to keep a straight face, broke into giggles. Gibbs looked up at him and had trouble suppressing his own smile.

Ziva stared at them both, then looked at McGee, who stared back at her with wide eyes. "Are… are you going back to Mexico?"

Tony's giggles became outright laughter. McGee and Ziva both approached him, but he waved them off and headed toward the men's room. Gibbs watched him go, openly smiling. He turned to the rest of his team. "It's been a strange few days. We need to bring you both up to speed, but this isn't the time or the place. Abby and Ducky will be there too."

Ziva's mouth opened, but no sound came out. McGee just managed to avoid stammering and asked, "Should we bring anything?"

Gibbs signed off on Tony's report and shook his head. "Tony's bringing pizza." He looked up at them. "Reports, people!"

McGee and Ziva were already at Gibbs' house before Tony walked into the kitchen with the pizza. "Hey eager beavers!" He set the boxes on the table and went to the refrigerator to grab a beer. Gibbs came in from the basement and smiled at Tony, who returned the smile and handed him a beer. They silently toasted each other and drank in unison, turning to see McGee and Ziva staring at them. Both men said, "What?!" simultaneously, in the same tone. The two junior agents continued to stare; McGee backed up a step.

"Ah, Timothy, Ziva, how are you?" Ducky walked into the kitchen, followed by Jimmy Palmer. Gibbs glared at Ducky, who simply raised his eyebrows. "Mr. Palmer is in the field with us every day, Jethro. He needs to know."

Gibbs stared a moment longer, then nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Duck. Beer, Palmer?"

Jimmy nodded, eyes wide, watching while Gibbs went back to the fridge and grabbed another beer.

Abby arrived, distributing hugs, and Tony stacked plates next to the pizza boxes. Everyone ate and talked about everything but the case and the reason they were all there.

Finally, Ducky suggested moving into the living room. Gibbs and Tony sat on the couch, with Abby between them. Ducky and Ziva took the two arm chairs; McGee brought a chair in from the kitchen. Once everyone was seated, Abby leaned forward. "You guys are gonna love this!"

"Do you have the book?" Ziva asked her.

"Whaddya mean, book?" Tony exclaimed, trading glances with Gibbs, who sat up straight.

"We need to make sure the payoffs are accurate," Ziva stated calmly. "This has been running a long time."

"Ziva, my dear," Ducky began, but Gibbs cut him off.

"What are you talking about?"

Abby broke in hurriedly. "This is something else, Ziva… it's not what you think."

"No," Gibbs said, "I want to know what you two think this is about."

"Uh, three, Agent Gibbs… I mean Gibbs." Jimmy gave him that eager smile. "I can collect for Breena, you guys."

"What's going on?" Tony asked, confused.

McGee shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, apparently calling on some higher being for patience. "It's kind of obvious, guys. We appreciate you wanting to make this big gesture, letting us in on the 'secret,'" using air quotes, "but we've known about it for a long time."

"How is that even possible?" Tony demanded.

"Oh, come on, Tony," Ziva laughed. "It must be the worst-kept secret at NCIS."

Tony's mouth dropped open, and he leaned back on the couch, staring past Abby, who had her head in her hands. "Gibbs…"

Ziva smiled at Gibbs. "We are all very happy for you both."

Gibbs blinked at her.

She turned toward Abby. "If I remember correctly, I am down for when Gibbs came back from Mexico."

"No way," McGee snorted. "Since way before I came on board." He looked at Tony. "When you guys met in Baltimore, right?"

Gibbs turned to look at Tony. He shrugged, a slight smile showing up on his lips. "Might as well tell 'em, DiNozzo."

Tony's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

He grinned, reaching behind Abby to take Gibbs' hand. "Actually, only since last September. Although, if you want to be technical about it, it's more like October – "

"DiNozzo!"

Abby grabbed her bag and rummaged through it, extracting a small wire-bound notebook. She flipped through the pages. "Vance," she said, in a dramatic yet disappointed tone.

"Wow," Tony commented. "I guess there's a reason he's the director."

"You're not serious," McGee complained. "Tony, you've been in love with Gibbs since, like, the dawn of time."

"Doesn't mean I did anything about it, McPremature."

Ziva's eyes narrowed as she looked at Abby. "You do not seem very surprised."

Abby's fingers drummed on the cover of her notebook. "Well…"

Ducky cleared his throat. "While this is all very interesting, and I extend my congratulations to you both _again_ ," he was interrupted by an annoyed hiss coming from Ziva, "this is not the actual reason for this gathering."

Tony let go of Gibbs' hand and straightened up. "Wait, this is perfect. I wanna say it, can I say it, Jethro?"

Gibbs waved a hand at him.

Tony grinned. "I see dead people."

Abby giggled, but the rest of the room was silent.

"Come on guys, The Sixth Sense? 1999, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment? Although I guess it's more accurate to say Gibbs and I see dead people. Dead dogs too. Oh, and kelpies. And vampires. And let's not forget the werewolves."

"Definitely not," Abby commented, with a dreamy look and a purr in her voice.

Jimmy Palmer burst out laughing. "That's great, you guys! But April Fool's day was over a month ago!"

Ducky sighed. "That may not be quite the way I would have approached it."

Ziva and McGee began talking at once, apparently about Abby's notes. Palmer was asking Tony where they got the idea for the prank. Tony picked up on something McGee said and started firing back.

Gibbs took a long swallow from his beer, and then sent a piercing whistle through the room, which feel silent. "Tony's telling the truth. Me and him, we've been dealing with ghosts and goblins on and off since last September."

Tony frowned. "I don't remember any goblins."

Ziva stared at Gibbs for a long time. "You are not joking."

He shook his head. "Tell 'em, Tony."

"Okay, so, remember last September, when you two went to the sexual harassment seminar and Gibbs and I were tracking down Petty Officer Riggs' last known whereabouts…"

"… and that sums it all up. Abby and Ducky can confirm the werewolf thing." Tony finished off his beer. He'd been talking for almost forty-five minutes with very few interruptions, and he was thirsty.

McGee shook his head. "You're saying Lieutenant Conrad was a werewolf killed by vampires, which explains why we have no leads. I… this is awfully hard to believe. But…" he turned to Gibbs, "neither you nor Ducky would tell stories like this and expect us to believe them."

Ziva's brow furrowed. "In Mossad, we learned to keep open minds. But this…"

"You were able to believe in what you couldn't see on the _Chimera_ ," Tony pointed out.

"That was different," she protested.

"Turned out different," Gibbs agreed. "But everything Tony said was true."

"I remember when we came back from that seminar," McGee said thoughtfully. "You both seemed a bit, I dunno, off."

"And I do remember that your arm was bitten," Ziva said to Gibbs.

"Vampires?" Jimmy protested weakly.

Tony looked at Gibbs and shrugged. "Can't make 'em believe, Jethro."

Gibbs sighed. "Look… you don't have to buy into everything we're telling you. But you needed to hear it. No reason why things won't start happening when we're all out in the field. You need to be ready."

"How do you get ready for vampires?" Jimmy muttered.

"If we really are ghost magnets, or whatever," Tony added, "weird stuff is bound to happen at a crime scene. We're all gonna have to accept it and deal with both realities at once."

"Don't want you so distracted by something strange that you stop paying attention to the guy aiming a gun at you," Gibbs pointed out.

Abby nodded, eyes wide. "I couldn't stand it if any of you got hurt."

Ziva shook her head. "I can promise to keep an open mind." She looked at McGee and shrugged helplessly.

Tony grinned at him. "C'mon, Elf Lord… you of all people."

McGee just rolled his eyes and then stared at Tony.

Gibbs' cell phone rang. He pulled if off his belt and squinted at it. "Dispatch," he said, then answered. "Yeah, Gibbs." He got up, grabbing Abby's notebook from her lap and a pen Tony held out to him, writing things down. "Dayton?" he asked, shooting Tony a look.

Tony's jaw dropped.

"What is Dayton?" Ziva asked.

Ducky answered, "The werewolves' hometown."

Gibbs hung up and turned to face the group. "Dead Petty Officer in Dayton, Virginia. Name's Karen Haynes."

McGee's brow furrowed. "Haynes? Karen Haynes… isn't that the name of Lieutenant Conrad's niece?"

Gibbs' cell rang again. "Yeah, Gibbs."

" _Special Agent Gibbs… this is Daniel."_

"Just got a call about a dead Petty Officer in your town." Gibbs watched Tony rise to his feet.

" _Which is one reason why I am calling you… your team will investigate?"_

"Dispatch just gave it to us."

" _Karen was pack."_

"Figured. Conrad was family."

" _You work quickly."_

"Already knew it from looking into his murder. Another arrow?" He glanced at his team; everyone was watching him alertly, ready to move.

" _No. We aren't sure of cause of death. We are maintaining the scene for you."_

"Local cops interfering?"

" _Of course not. They are pack too."_

"Whole town?"

" _Yes."_

"You said one reason."

Daniel's growl sounded harsh in Gibbs' ear. _"She isn't the only one. Patryk is dead."_

Gibbs paused. "I'm sorry, Daniel. That's a huge loss."

" _Yes. He could have been my successor."_

"You think his death is connected."

" _In my experience, there are very few true coincidences."_

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

" _Gibbs, this complicates things. Others will be competing to take his place."_

"Not your call?"

" _Not entirely, no. Things may get… violent. I assume you will inform your people?"_

"Already have. Anything else we should know?"

" _Not at this time. Investigate as you normally would, except that I ask you to keep our true nature secret."_

"Of course."

" _The pack upheaval will likely complicate your investigation. I will assign someone to explain our customs to your people."_

"Thanks… we'll need it. Give us…" He paused, looking at McGee, who already had his phone out. He held up three fingers. "… three to four hours to arrive."

" _We will have a place prepared for you. I assume you will need several days."_

"Ducky and his assistant will take the bodies back to DC for autopsy tomorrow, but my people will stay as long as necessary. Myself, Tony, two other agents."

" _I will have a doctor explain our physiology to Dr. Mallard."_

"Thanks, Daniel." Gibbs heard the click of the pack leader hanging up; he did the same and looked at his team. "Two bodies, Haynes and one civilian." His eyes met Tony's. "Patryk," he added grimly.

Tony's eyes narrowed. Abby gasped, her hands going to her mouth. Ducky sighed and shook his head. "Oh, dear."

"Who?" Ziva asked.

"One of the werewolves," Tony said grimly. "My counterpart. Second in command."

McGee took a deep breath. "This is real. Werewolves. We're investigating werewolves."

"Guess Conrad's case stays open," Tony said.

Gibbs nodded, thinking. He looked at his team, especially Abby, who was staring at him hopefully. "Listen up, people. Daniel is the pack leader. Patryk's death means some of his people will be jockeying for position, and it could get ugly. Abby, you are staying in DC. I'm not bringing you into the middle of a riot."

Abby grimaced, but nodded. "You have to tell me _everything_."

"Gonna be late when we get there," Gibbs added. "Sounds like Daniel has his people under control, and he wants us to investigate, but keep your eyes open. Do not engage with any wolves unless you have no other choice." He looked at Ducky. "Duck, you okay to make the drive tonight?"

"Absolutely. Mr. Palmer and I can share driving duties if necessary."

Gibbs nodded. "You'll get a chance to rest before driving back home." He stretched and looked at his watch. "Get what you need, back at the office in thirty."

Everyone dispersed, leaving Tony and Gibbs alone in the house. "Hell of a thing," Gibbs said.

Tony nodded. "Daniel okay?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Can't tell based on a phone call. Only met the guy last night." Their eyes met. "If I'd lost my second, even before last September, I wouldn't have been okay." They gazed at each other until Tony visibly shook himself.

"We'd better get going."

Gibbs nodded, and they headed upstairs to grab their gear.


	5. Chapter 5

Werewolves of Dayton

 _There is a town named Dayton in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia; I'm sure my version is nothing like the real one, and I very much doubt it's populated by werewolves._

Tim McGee and Ziva David had been quiet on the road to Dayton, each occupied with their own thoughts. About an hour out from their goal, Tim stretched his arms against the steering wheel and glanced over at his partner, taking in her narrowed eyes staring at the lights of car ahead of them.

"So… what do you think about all this?"

Ziva blinked, turning to face him. "Part of me wants to put them all in those, what do you call them, hugging jackets."

McGee smiled. "Straight jackets." He sighed. "Yeah, me too. I mean, I could totally see Tony pulling one of his ridiculous pranks, but for Ducky and Gibbs to go along with it?"

Ziva's nodded. "Did you notice? Gibbs said thank you on the phone."

"Twice!" McGee huffed an incredulous laugh.

"He must truly respect this Daniel person."

"Is a werewolf a person?"

"You do not really think we are going to a town of werewolves?"

"I don't know what to think."

Ziva shook her head and lapsed back into silence, her gaze boring into the back of the sedan carrying the team lead and his senior field agent.

McGee glanced at her again, then kept his eyes on the road. _At least they finally admitted being together_ , he thought. _Pretending we didn't know was getting old._

Tony fidgeted, drumming his fingers on the dashboard. Gibbs reached out and placed his hand on Tony's; the drumming stopped.

"What's got you so worked up?" Gibbs asked mildly.

"Ziva. I can feel her beady little eyes on the back of my head."

Gibbs laughed. "Ziva's eyes aren't beady."

Tony frowned, turning to stare at Gibbs. "I don't know if I like you paying so much attention to Ziva's eyes."

Gibbs shook his head and raised his hand, lightly tapping Tony on the top of his head. "Don't be an idiot."

Tony grinned. "Bet she thinks we've gone off the deep end."

"Sometimes I wonder if we have."

"Yeah." Tony settled back into his seat. "What the hell are we doing, walking into a town of werewolves? One or more of them are probably murderers, you know. If they'll kill their own family, what's to stop them from getting rid of us?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"Great," Tony muttered.

They pulled into Dayton a little after 1 a.m., after getting lost more than once. The town was very much off the beaten path. There were no signs leading to it; they'd gone far off the main road to get to the one that led into town.

There were no streetlights; Tony guessed the werewolves had excellent night vision. The sedan, followed by the truck, rolled slowly along the main drag until movement showed up in the headlights. Gibbs pulled over and shut off the engine, leaving the lights on. The truck stopped next to them and McGee did the same. All four agents sat quietly, looking out into the street.

Karen Haynes' body was clearly visible, lying near the curb. She lay face down, her head turned toward the cars, eyes open. She wasn't wearing a Navy uniform. Her body, however, was incidental to the rest of the scene.

There were wolves in the street. Tony counted around fourteen of them before he lost track and gave up. A few were sitting, watching the vehicles, but most of them were slinking back and forth, sniffing the air, looking at the cars and then away, constantly in motion. Some of them had darted out of the headlight's beams when the first pulled up, emerging suddenly out of the darkness to take up the same prowling motion.

Lights went on in the house closest to the body. The front door opened, and Daniel emerged, followed by a stunning woman with long, dark hair, nearly his height. They were both dressed in jeans and button-down shirts that weren't tucked in, and their feet were bare.

Gibbs took a deep breath, then opened the car door, stepping out into the road. Tony was only a half-second behind him. It took a little longer for McGee and Ziva to join them.

Daniel reached out to shake Gibbs' hand. "I thank you for coming, Agent Gibbs." He nodded to Tony.

Gibbs introduced McGee and Ziva. Daniel gave them each a shallow nod, then held out a hand to the woman standing next to him. "This is Aleksandra, my mate and our shaman."

Aleksandra stared at them all, then growled low in her throat. Ziva's posture stiffened, and McGee's hand twitched toward his gun. Gibbs glared at them, and they relaxed. He turned his attention back to Daniel's mate. "We are only here to investigate the Petty Officer's murder," he said quietly. "And Patryk's, if you want."

She continued to growl, and Tony could have sworn her eyes flashed. "We can handle this ourselves," she said in an accented voice. She turned to Daniel, clearly dismissing them. "I told you before this is too dangerous."

Daniel stroked his hand down her back. "We all know the risk of letting pack join the military. They connect us to human society. If we don't let Agent Gibbs investigate now, we risk an investigation into a missing naval officer landing on our doorstep later. Gibbs and his second already know of us and will respect our secrets."

"Foolishness," Aleksandra muttered. She stared at McGee and Ziva. "What of them?"

"Everyone on my team can be trusted," Gibbs stated.

They could hear another car approaching. The M.E. van parked on an angle, shining more light on the body. Ducky and Palmer emerged; they could all hear Jimmy's nervous chatter, which included the phrase 'nice doggie' more than once. Gibbs grimaced, but Jimmy fell silent as they reached the group.

"Dr. Mallard," Daniel said, "thank you for joining us."

Ducky smiled. "My pleasure. I'm sorry we aren't meeting again under better circumstances."

Aleksandra gazed at Ducky; she ignored Jimmy. "You are a shaman."

Ducky looked surprised. "Well now, I don't know that I merit such a distinction."

Aleksandra nodded once, sharply. "You have wisdom. You and I shall talk." She said something to Daniel in that familiar-yet-strange language, then turned and went into the house.

Daniel watched her go, then turned to Gibbs. "How do you need to proceed?"

"We need pictures of the scene and of the body, and Ducky needs to examine her. We need to collect evidence and talk to any witnesses. Do you want us to look at where Patryk was killed?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. We have maintained both scenes for you. It would be helpful, at this juncture, to have neutral input." Daniel turned to survey the street. He spoke a single word they didn't recognize. All the wolves' motion stopped, and they turned toward him, ears pricked. Most of them then turned away and melted into the darkness. A few of the larger males shimmered and popped, turning human before they walked away. Tony could hear Ziva's sharply indrawn breath and McGee's quiet expletive.

A small, dark-furred female remained, slinking close to Daniel and rolling over on her back. Daniel smiled gently at her and spoke again. She turned her head away from him, then got to her feet. She shimmered, popped, and a young woman stood before them. She was a little taller than Ziva, with short dark brown hair and green eyes, which were focused on the ground.

Daniel watched all the human men averting their eyes and chuckled softly. "Arina," he said, "we have forgotten the human interdiction against naked skin. Go put on some clothes and then return."

Arina glanced up at the humans; her lips quirked in a tiny smile before she ducked her head and went into the same house Aleksandra had entered.

"Arina will stay with you and answer your questions. She can tell you whatever you need to know about us."

Daniel stepped back and gestured toward Haynes' body. Gibbs took it for the invitation it was. "All yours, Duck. Tony, shoot and sketch. Ziva, McGee, collect evidence." He looked at Daniel. "Who found the body?"

"There were several pack who witnessed her collapse. I will have them report to you late tomorrow morning." Daniel inclined his head, then went to the house.

Ducky and Palmer were examining the body. Tony had started his work, and McGee had followed, pale and clearly shaken by the werewolves' transformation. Ziva hadn't moved from where she stood; Gibbs went to her. "Can you handle this?"

She started slightly, then looked at him. "Yes, yes, of course… it is just…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "I know. Wait 'til you get your first ghost." He waked away. "Whaddya got, Duck?"

Ziva looked around, closed her eyes for a moment, then moved toward the body.

Ducky shook his head as Gibbs joined him. "Nothing much yet, Jethro. No visible wounds. She appears to have been young and healthy. I had Mr. Palmer pull her file; there were no medical issues listed." He looked up. "Time of death is roughly late afternoon or early evening, say around 7 p.m. Until I get her to Autopsy and we can start running tests, I can't even speculate as to cause of death." He stood. "Shall I have Mr. Palmer move her?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Let's wait until we know we aren't violating any werewolf procedures."

"There is nothing; you need not worry."

Both men jumped a little; they turned to see Arina standing behind them. She was dressed as Daniel and Aleksandra had been, barefoot, in jeans and an untucked button-down shirt. Arina stood with her head higher than she'd held it in Daniel's presence, but lowered her gaze when Gibbs focused on her. "The spirit is gone," she said, gesturing to the body. "She has already crossed. We have no ritual for the carcass that remains."

"Thank you, my dear," said Ducky. He motioned to Jimmy to proceed.

Arina smiled at him. "You are welcome." She glanced at Gibbs, her eyes moving up and away. "I am to explain our way of life to you. You need only ask whatever it is you wish to know."

Gibbs looked at her thoughtfully. "McGee!"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Get over here." He waited until McGee joined them, then spoke to Arina. "This is Tim McGee. He'll talk with you."

Arina nodded, lifting her head as she met McGee's gaze. "I am happy to meet you."

Gibbs nodded in satisfaction once, then went looking for Tony. "Any ideas?"

Tony shook his head. "Not yet." He tilted his head toward McGee and Arina. "What was that all about?"

Gibbs sighed. "She's not comfortable with me… rank, I guess. Figured she'd be happier with McGee or Ziva than with you, and Ziva needs a little more time to adjust."

"Good thinking." Tony looked at the werewolf girl for a moment, then picked up his phone and fired off a text.

McGee's phone beeped. He picked it up, read the screen, and looked at Arina. "Can you take us to Patryk's body?"

She nodded. "Whenever you like."

Patryk had been killed in the basement of a home on the outskirts of town. Ariana walked to the house with the agents; Ducky and Jimmy were following in the van. Several wolves watched as the team approached the house; one of them took several steps toward them and chuffed at Arina, who stopped and stared at the wolf. A low, rumbling growl came from its chest; Arina took a step forward. The wolf snarled at her, but turned away and disappeared into the woods.

"What was that all about?" McGee asked.

Arina looked at him and smiled. "Liza outranked me until just now."

McGee looked over his shoulder at the woods. "So, you just stare at each other and whoever backs off is the loser?"

Arina laughed. "It is not quite so simple. If Daniel had not given me this assignment, I would have backed down and Liza would have maintained her rank. If she had not challenged me just now, she would still have her rank. But she chose to challenge, and I did not have to back down because I am doing what Daniel bid me to do."

Ziva spoke up. "Why did she challenge you, if she knew she would lose?"

Arina shrugged. "She may be angry that Daniel chose me. She may be interested in Agent McGee, in which case she may see me as a rival."

McGee turned red. "Why me?"

Arina looked at him in surprise. "You are the only available male in this group."

"How do you know that?"

Arina glanced quickly at Gibbs and Tony, who were ahead of them and almost at the door. "Your leader and second are bonded. We can smell it on them."

"That's… kind of creepy."

Arina's brow furrowed as she looked at him. She laughed suddenly. "I forgot, your noses are decorative only."

Neither agent knew how to respond to that.

The basement was a mess. It was clear there'd been a fight, and it had been a violent one. Patryk's throat had been viciously savaged, and there were lacerations over much of his naked body. Ducky's tentative cause of death was the throat wound, although he couldn't be sure without getting the body back to Autopsy.

There was blood on and in Patryk's mouth; Tony crouched down and began taking samples. "Might be able to match DNA profiles, Boss."

Arina shook her head, keeping her eyes down. She remained silent until McGee asked what was wrong. "Daniel has said we will not provide any blood or tissue samples. He does not want records of living pack in the hands of humans."

Tony rocked back on his heels, looking at her thoughtfully. "Arina," he said gently.

She lowered her head a bit more, glancing at him briefly.

"Arina," he tried again, "Gibbs and I aren't pack. You don't have to defer to us." Everyone looked at her, but she didn't respond. Tony sighed. "Arina, Gibbs and I both give you permission to speak to us… you can volunteer information. This investigation will go a lot faster that way."

Arina lifted her head slightly, looking at him. She nodded, still not meeting his eyes for long. "You are a visiting pack. We are to avoid conflict, so we treat your leader and second in a manner similar to ours."

Tony nodded. "Is it –" He stopped, then started again. "I'm still going to collect samples from Patryk's body, in case Daniel changes his mind."

Ziva was taking pictures. "Who lives here?"

"No one. The family who had this house moved on to join a pack in Oregon several months ago."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

Arina blinked, thinking. "When a new pack forms, a call goes out through the Nation. Interested individuals and families can petition to leave and join the pack. That way we preserve genetic diversity. The family here was young and interested in new opportunities."

Ziva looked at her. "I have noticed that many of your names are Eastern European."

Arina smiled at her. "Some packs maintain that part of our heritage. The first to come here to this world began their stay in Eastern Europe."

"Why," McGee hesitated, then began again, "why would that wolf be interested in me? I'm human."

"We can bond with humans. Sometimes we have human children, sometimes we have pups. It's another way to preserve diversity. A pack lacking variation has little long-term success."

Tony wanted to tease McGee about having a litter of puppies, but he didn't want to offend Arina, so he kept his mouth shut.

Gibbs was looking at Patryk's body. "Any idea why he'd be here?"

Arina was clearly uncomfortable talking to him; she looked at McGee, who nodded encouragingly. "Ah, none, actually. His home is in the middle of town, next to Daniel and Aleksandra."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "He was Daniel's second, which means he was a good fighter?"

"Yes. He was one of the best. Very strong."

"So, it's not likely just one other wolf could take him out."

Arina's eyes widened; she shook her head. "Not likely, no, but I think Daniel would be able to say better than I."

Tony spoke up. "He's in human form… does that mean he died as a human? That he wasn't fighting as a wolf?"

Arina shook her head, pointing to the blood samples Tony had bagged. "He bit someone during the fight. He would have been wolf to do that." She paused, thinking. "Sometimes, in a serious fight, combatants agree to rest. Changing forms can speed healing."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "There was a fight, and Patryk thought it was safe to take a break, changed form, and got his throat ripped out?"

Arina gasped, shocked. "That would be… I don't have a word for it. Pack who did such would be outcast."

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully, then moved to help Ducky get to his feet. "Duck?"

The M.E. shrugged. "Not much more I can do here, Jethro. I'll have to take him back home to find out if he was drugged or in some other way impaired." Jimmy moved forward with the gurney and they began preparations to take Patryk out to the van.

Arina hesitantly touched McGee's arm. "Daniel has a house ready for all of you. You must be tired." She looked at Ducky. "Shaman Mallard, Aleksandra wished me to extend her invitation to tea in the morning before you leave." She smiled at him. "We have stocked the kitchen for you."

Ducky smiled at her. "Please let her know I would be delighted, my dear."

Arina returned the smile, then glanced at Gibbs and Tony, finally settling on Tony. "Daniel wished me to tell you he will be happy to speak with both of you at the same time." She turned to McGee and Ziva. "Daniel also wished you to know that he will send the witnesses to Karen's death to be interviewed. They have all been told to cooperate fully."

Gibbs nodded. "Let's go get some rest."

A short time later, Gibbs and Tony were alone in the master bedroom. Gibbs was lying on his back in bed, his head resting on his hands, watching Tony pace.

"Rule 1 is already toast… they've had plenty of time to put a story together." Tony stopped his pacing and looked accusingly at Gibbs. "Why aren't you more upset about that? You should be upset about that."

Gibbs shrugged. "Can't do anything about it now." He moved one arm and patted the bed next to him. "C'mon Tone, take a load off."

Tony smiled and sat down. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Tony was up and pacing again. Gibbs managed to suppress his urge to laugh.

"I feel like we're in hostile territory," Tony complained. "Our weapons are useless since we don't have silver bullets. We're surrounded by wolves who could decide to take us out at any moment. The alpha female clearly doesn't want us here."

Gibbs levered himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard. "What's really bothering you, Tony?"

Tony turned to face Gibbs and put his hands on his hips. "There's no lock on the door, Jethro! What if Ziva decides to get an eyeful?"

"Like a lock would stop her?"

Tony wrinkled his nose. "You have a point."

Gibbs smiled at him. "As far as the wolves go, if they didn't want us here, Daniel wouldn't have told us about Patryk. Ducky and Abby will be able to make some headway after Duck gets the bodies back to DC. And I don't really care if Ziva comes in… but if you do, we can just relax tonight. There's no rule saying we have to have sex every night."

"There isn't?!" Tony grinned at him. "Why the hell not? Make one."

Gibbs laughed and waved Tony over. "Let's go, Tony. Bed. Now. Sleep."

Tony glanced at the door, then sighed and crawled into bed, curling up in Gibbs' arms.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I have amythestice's comment on chapter 5 over on AO3 to thank for this one... got me thinking about Ziva and what I think about the character. I actually liked the character, although I never liked the idea of Tiva - and she definitely pissed me off at times. So this is an attempt to get inside her head. Not meant to replace this weekend's planned update._

A Ziva Interlude

Ziva David stood by the window, watching and thinking. Her room was at the back of the house, facing the woods; she stood to one side and watched through the lacy curtain as wolves occasionally crossed the small yard, going towards or returning from the forest. At one point, two naked men appeared, carrying a dead deer. Its throat was mauled, and one of its hind legs severely damaged. Ziva thought she'd read once that wolves liked to rip their prey's hamstrings, making it impossible for them to escape.

Ziva's life had changed this night, and she wasn't pleased. After so many years of moving from one place to another, one assignment to another, never knowing what was coming next and not in control of her own future, she'd finally felt settled at NCIS. She had a place, a permanence of sorts in both her job and her apartment. She had a new family, complete with adored but often irritating siblings and a father figure she loved and respected. She didn't like the thought that she let Gibbs down by being slow to adjust to the idea of werewolves.

It bothered her that McGee seemed to be dealing with it all better than she. Not that she ever felt she was in competition with McGee. She nodded to herself as she watched another wolf trot purposefully into the woods; McGee had spoken with Arina while they processed the crime scenes. He probably found it easier now to think of these werewolves as people.

Deep growling interrupted her thoughts; she watched as two large males faced off in front of a small group of other wolves. There was a fair amount of posturing and snarling, reminding her of teenagers. Neither backed down, so it soon escalated. The wolves charged, crashing together, a crescendo of snarling and growling filling the air. There was a yelp, and the wolves quickly separated. One held its head down and to the side; Ziva could see the nasty slice through its shoulder. The winner held his head high, staring down the loser, who turned and limped away. The wolves who'd been watching went about their business.

Ziva's fingers began tapping out a pattern where they rested on her hip. The wolves were quick; despite the posturing, she hadn't seen either one telegraph its intent to charge.

She pushed away from the window and went to her bag, opening one of the side pockets and checking for the silver knives she'd brought with her. They lay there, long and sharp, awaiting her command. She ran her finger along one of the blades, glad she'd brought them.

She heard more growling outside and went back to the window. Another challenge, this time between two females. This one never escalated to a fight, but the menace was clear to see. Ziva wondered if these challenges contested so close to the house were meant to intimidate the team.

That thought gave her pause; she decided she needed to do a sweep through the house, make sure all was as it should be. She returned to her bag, strapping a sheath to her right leg and placing one of the silver knives in it.

She opened her door soundlessly and made her way downstairs. All was quiet. The doors to the outside were still locked and deadbolted. The basement was clear. Dining room, kitchen, living room, den, all was in its place and as it should be. She made her way back upstairs, methodically checking in on her teammates.

McGee's room was closest to the stairs; she opened the door slowly and silently, looking in on him. He slept on his back, twitching a bit as he dreamed. She crept closer, smiling as he whispered 'puppies' in his sleep.

Ducky and Jimmy Palmer were sharing the next room, one with two twin beds. She could hear snoring before she opened the door. Jimmy was the culprit; he lay on his stomach, legs and arms sprawled across the bed, the sheets tangled around his feet. Ducky had fallen asleep with a book in his hands. The bedside light was still on, and his glasses were half off his face. She moved closer, gently taking the book and placing it on the nightstand, removing his glasses and putting them on top of the book, then turning out the light. She heard a quiet, "Thank you, my dear," as she crept out, but didn't look back.

Ziva hesitated outside the master bedroom at the end of the hall. She didn't need to check on Gibbs and Tony; they were accomplished agents and had each other's backs. She pressed her ear to the door, but didn't hear anything. She considered several courses of action before she turned the door knob very slowly and entered the room.

The windows on this side of the house faced the moon, and moonlight caressed the sleeping men. Ziva made her way cautiously to the bed; she was well aware of Gibbs' likely response should his sleeping mind believe he was under attack. Or that Tony was under attack – at that thought she almost turned around to make her way back out. She waited, but there was no sound or movement.

She drew closer. Tony lay on his back, his head turned toward Gibbs, chin resting against the team leader's hair. Gibbs' head lay on Tony's chest; his right arm encircled his second's torso. Tony's right arm held Gibbs, his hand resting on Gibbs' shoulder. It appeared to Ziva that their legs were tangled together underneath the sheets.

She watched them for a few seconds; anything longer would likely be dangerous. She committed the scene to memory, then made her way out of the room, oblivious to Gibbs' eyes slitting open to watch her leave, and to the small smile that graced his face as he slipped back into sleep.

Ziva made her way to her own room, back to her post at the window. There were no wolves in sight, but she could hear a howl echoing from another part of town. She reached up to rub at her neck as the night began to catch up with her. Making her way to the bed, she drew the silver knife and placed it under the pillow. She removed the sheath from her leg, then changed into shorts and a t-shirt before sliding between the sheets.

She lay there for a while, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the image of Gibbs and Tony together in her mind. They seemed so right together, like puzzle pieces that fit. She'd been mildly surprised when Abby had first told her of the pool a long time ago, when she'd been the Mossad liaison for close to a year. Abby had thawed toward her by then, and they'd spent some time together outside of work. She'd observed them closely, and had flirted with Tony to see if she could trigger any possessive behavior on Gibbs' part, thinking she could use her proximity to the two men to ferret out any secrets. She'd had no luck, and had never been certain whether they were actually a couple or not.

She felt she could understand why Tony would be attracted to Gibbs, what he would get out of such a relationship. What Gibbs could get from Tony, that part she found more mystifying. She'd thought to see them lying on opposite sides of the bed with their backs to each other, or Gibbs taking up most of the space with Tony squished to one side. Instead, she'd found a very real and honest physical manifestation of love.

She gradually let go of her wariness as she pondered the relationship between the two men, and soon fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Investigation

Everyone gathered in the kitchen late the next morning. Tony and Gibbs had been up first; Tony was making breakfast, eggs, bacon, and toast to order, while Gibbs handed out coffee. Ducky, Jimmy, and McGee were already seated when Ziva came in. Her eyes met Gibbs'; he raised his coffee mug to her in a silent salute. She looked away and blushed, recalling the note she'd found on the nightstand when she'd woken up: _Good job. We're off limits._

McGee and Jimmy handled most of the clean-up, rinsing pans and dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. Then they joined the rest of the team at the table.

Gibbs leaned forward. "Impressions?"

Ziva spoke first. "I stayed awake most of the night, watching the werewolves from my bedroom window; I saw two confrontations over status, one between males, one females. They may be staging these fights in an attempt to intimidate us… why else should they happen here, right outside this house?"

"We'll take it up with Daniel," Gibbs agreed.

Ducky cleared his throat. "If I may, Jethro… I think it would be better if I spoke with Aleksandra regarding this issue."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Ducky tapped a finger on the table. "Granted, I was quite busy last night, but I was able to observe interactions among pack members. They are quite formal, which I suppose is wise, as formality can prevent misunderstandings. When one is a dangerous predator, surrounded by dangerous predators, having an established set of forms –"

"Duck."

"Ah, yes, of course. It seems to me that questioning Daniel as to his pack's actions last night could be perceived as a threat to his position. While I doubt he would react with physical force, he may become less cooperative. And while Patryk's death doesn't truly fall within our purview, we do need the pack's cooperation to investigate the death of poor Petty Officer Haynes."

"In our purview if they're connected," Gibbs pointed out.

"But Ducky, why would speaking to Aleksandra about it be any better?" McGee asked. "Wouldn't she also see it as a challenge?"

Ducky chuckled. "She very well might, if it were coming from Ziva. But I, my dear boy, am not female. And in her eyes, we are equal, speaking shaman to shaman." He seemed very pleased by that.

McGee blinked, then nodded slowly. "The do seem to split rank along gender lines, don't they? But only to a point… Arina wasn't comfortable with Gibbs and Tony."

Tony spoke up. "We don't really understand how this culture works, Boss." Gibbs nodded to him to continue. "I don't think any of us should go anywhere alone. Stay in pairs. We don't know if we have one or two killers to contend with, but either way, we should be watching each other's backs. Even if we're not dealing with a killer, one of us could say the wrong thing and set something off."

Gibbs nodded approvingly. He looked at Jimmy. "Stay with Ducky, Palmer."

Ducky reached over and patted Jimmy on the shoulder. "I shouldn't think Aleksandra would have any issue with you attending me. In fact, your presence may bolster her perception of my own rank."

Jimmy swallowed nervously but nodded his agreement.

Gibbs looked at McGee and Ziva. "You're interviewing the witnesses to Karen Haynes' death. Find out what you can about her history with the pack, ask Arina to help you talk with others who knew her." He glanced at Tony. "We'll tackle Daniel."

"Not literally, I hope," Tony mumbled. He was rewarded with a light tap on the head.

There was a knock on the door. "All right people… gear up. Duck, you run into any problems, call us."

McGee went to the door and opened it to find Arina on the step. "Good morning, Arina."

She smiled, meeting his gaze. "Good morning, Tim McGee." She laughed suddenly. "Meeting you has been very good for me. I have risen even further in the pack since we parted last night."

McGee smiled at her. "Congratulations." He stepped back, inviting her inside. She stood to one side as Ducky and Jimmy approached. Greetings were exchanged, and Arina asked Shaman Ducky if he needed guidance to find Aleksandra's home. Ducky was sure he remembered the way, so he and Jimmy left. Gibbs and Tony weren't far behind; Gibbs told Tony to hold up, then reached out to straighten the collar of Tony's shirt. Tony grinned at him. "Thanks, Jethro." They both greeted Arina, who returned the greeting with lowered eyes and her head turned slightly away; her shoulders, though, remained unbowed.

McGee watched her as they left the house. She watched them, her brow furrowed, in what McGee guessed was confusion. "Is, ah, is everything alright?"

"Oh! My apologies… it is just, well, strange."

"Does your pack have problems with same-sex couples?"

"Oh, no, not at all! Attraction is attraction. It happens among us, but it is never exclusive when it does." She saw the curiosity on his face and smiled. "Mating with one of the same gender cannot produce pups. Same-sex relationships are allowed, but pack must reproduce. The pack must be perpetuated." She looked back at the two agents. "They are fine specimens. It is a shame."

McGee managed to keep himself from laughing. He'd have to find a way to tease Tony about that later.

Gibbs and Tony caught up with Ducky and Jimmy well before they reached the house. Aleksandra and Daniel were waiting for them on the front porch. Daniel was welcoming, shaking hands with everyone, even Jimmy. Aleksandra simply nodded frostily to Gibbs and Tony; she smiled warmly at Ducky and ignored Jimmy.

Daniel led the way into the house, followed by his mate. Aleksandra gestured for Ducky and Jimmy to accompany her into a sitting room at the front of the house. Daniel asked Gibbs and Tony to follow him through the living room into his study; a large room with comfortable leather recliners, a desk complete with a laptop, and a large window looking out on the woods.

"Nice view," Tony commented, as he sat in one of the recliners facing the desk.

Daniel smiled. "I don't know if you noticed, but all the houses are next to the forest. We feel more at home that way." He gestured toward the recliner next to Tony's as he went to his own seat behind the desk. "Please, sit." He smiled sadly. "That was Patryk's preferred chair."

Gibbs sat. "We have some questions for you."

Daniel nodded. "As I expected." He moved his chair forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "How can I help you?"

Tony started out. "McGee and Ziva are interviewing the members of your pack who witnessed Karen Haynes' death… did you know her well?"

Daniel shook his head. "She was new to the pack; she applied to join us once she was stationed at Norfolk. About seven months ago, I think. This was her fourth visit since she became pack."

"Is it common for pack members to join the military?"

Daniel smiled. "Very. Younger, lower ranking pack members especially like to join. They have too much energy to burn and not enough to do. Military rank and structure makes them feel at home. Their accomplishments on deployment can translate into higher rank within the pack as well."

Gibbs sat forward. "Did she know Patryk?"

Daniel sat up, his head tilted to one side. "Interesting question. He never mentioned her, but his status as my second did not require him to report on all his interactions with the pack." His brow furrowed. "I have been trying to think of how their deaths could be connected, but have not made any progress."

Tony sat back, thinking. "At Gibbs' house, you said Patryk didn't have a mate. Could he have been interested in Petty Officer Haynes? Could their deaths have been due to a jealous rival?"

Daniel shook his head. "That would be highly unlikely. Decisions about mating are dependent on rank and on the wishes of the parties involved. As my second, Patryk has – had – the highest rank in the pack barring myself and Aleksandra. Most females would be pleased with his attentions, and males would defer to the female's choice."

"Any particular reason why he didn't have a mate?"

"I really don't know." Daniel's gaze roamed around the room. "He was my second for almost a year. He did say once that he wanted to focus his energy on consolidating his position and working for the pack. The few times we mentioned it, he said he would get around to it soon." He shrugged, focusing on Gibbs. "I'm not aware that any particular female had his attention. There are several females currently on deployment; he may have been waiting for one of them to return."

Gibbs reached up to scratch his cheek. "The basement where Patryk was killed… would that have been a challenge for Patryk's position?"

Daniel shook his head again. "Challenges do not work that way. They are always public, especially those involving high-ranking individuals. Transfer of power needs to be transparent, or the stability of the pack can be threatened. Only pups carry out challenges in private."

"Pups?"

"Rank among juveniles is separate, and does not carry over into adulthood. What happens among the children is often fluid; it is only as they approach adulthood that they begin to establish themselves." He nodded to himself. "Take Arina. I chose her to work with you because she was the dominant female in her litter; as she transitioned to an adult, she lost confidence, probably due to challenging older females too quickly. She has great potential; I hoped her acting as your liaison would build her confidence, and it has. In a single night, she has advanced over two females."

Tony's eyebrows rose. "Is she your daughter?"

Daniel laughed. "No, she is a cousin. Fourth or fifth, I think. Rank is not inherited, and familial relationships are less important than the pack structure."

Gibbs brought the conversation back to Patryk's death. "Did many pack members challenge Patryk once he became your second?"

Daniel thought about it. "There were a few, at the beginning. Testing him. Nothing serious."

"What makes a challenge serious?"

"The degree to which it escalates. A test involves posturing, a few feints, seeking indications of intent to preserve rank. A true challenge becomes a real fight, one in which serious injury is possible."

"Do pack members die in challenges?"

"Very rarely. It is not the intent of the pack to kill members; each member is important. Only when both parties refuse to back down might a challenge escalate to such a level."

Gibbs sat back, signaling Tony to pick up the threads. "Sounds complicated," Tony commented.

Daniel smiled. "Only because you are not pack."

Tony grinned at him. "Was anyone unhappy when Patryk became your second?"

"Not that I can recall."

"What about Erik? You mentioned him at Gibbs' house."

"I did?" Daniel thought for a moment, then smiled. "That's right… I threatened to demote Patryk to omega and put Erik in his place."

"Could Erik have found out about that?"

"I doubt it. It's not likely something Patryk would repeat. And Erik would know it for an empty threat." Seeing the blank looks on their faces, Daniel chuckled. "Sometimes I forget how differently we live. Omega is the lowest ranking pack. There is only one, and being omega is a result of personality. Lack of interest in competing for rank, quick to back down, and so on. Our current omega is a male named Martin… I believe he's around your age, Agent DiNozzo."

"Lucky guy."

"Actually, the omega is very important to the pack. Martin's skills as a hacker have helped keep us off the grid when it comes to the internet. Google Earth has no idea the town is here." Daniel grinned. "The omega serves an important function as peacekeeper, although it is not a comfortable one."

"Peacekeeper?"

"Pack download their stress onto the omega when they have no other outlet. It reduces the number of challenges, contributes toward pack stability."

"Sounds painful."

"It can be, at times. I doubt Martin will be omega much longer. His computer skills can give him status, and he may decide not to back down someday."

Gibbs shifted in his chair; Tony recognized his growing impatience, and brought the conversation back to Patryk's death. "Does Erik stand the best chance of becoming your new second?"

"I think so, yes. He is among the strongest and most confident of us. He ranked just below Patryk, but until a serious challenge, he will not be confirmed second."

"You don't get to choose your second? What if it's someone you don't want to work with?"

"I do not choose, but I can make it clear that some are not welcome. It does them no good to challenge for the position only to have me challenge in return."

"How does that work?"

"If I challenge, I will win," Daniel said simply. "Either he will back down, losing status, or he will fight and lose status. Either way, someone else will be quick to take advantage of the situation and challenge." He looked seriously at Gibbs. "I'm sure you understand the value of having a second you trust."

"Absolutely."

"I can have Erik speak with you, if you think that will help your investigation."

Gibbs nodded his thanks. "Anyone in particular Patryk was friendly with would also help."

Daniel named several pack members, including Erik; Tony wrote them down.

Gibbs looked seriously at Daniel. "We could easily identify Patryk's killer if you'd allow us to take blood samples from your pack members."

Daniel's expression remained calm, but his eyes grew hard. "That I cannot do. Having that data out there, connected specifically to this case, identifying the donors as pack, is too dangerous."

"But pack members in the military have all that data on file," Tony pointed out.

For the first time, Daniel looked irritated. "Yes, but there is nothing to connect them to being pack. Your Dr. Mallard should be able to explain it to you after his meeting with Aleksandra and one of our own doctors."

Gibbs accepted the irritation as a signal to end the interview; he rose to his feet, thanking Daniel for his time.

"It doesn't seem to me that I have been much help, Agent Gibbs." Daniel's expression was calm again.

"Maybe, maybe not. Understanding more about how your pack functions might help us."

Daniel gestured for Gibbs to precede him to the door; Tony wisely hung back and let Daniel follow Gibbs out. By the time they reached the front door, Daniel was in front, opening it and stepping out in front of Gibbs.

The street was full of werewolves, in both wolf and human form. They formed a loose circle around a large grey wolf with black points who faced a tall, muscular man with light brown hair.

Daniel looked at Gibbs. "You are in luck; it appears Erik is about to face his first serious challenge."

The man unbuttoned his shirt, keeping an eye on the wolf. "It's about time, Anton," he said, grinning. "Thought you'd have challenged before Patryk cooled."

The wolf, Anton, flicked his ears back and forth, then growled and took a step forward.

Erik was stepping out of his jeans. "Give me a minute," he protested. "I only just bought these."

He shimmered and popped, shifting into the form of a dark brown wolf. Erik and Anton were close to the same size; the grey wolf might have had a slight advantage. Anton growled again, showing bright white teeth, and moved forward. Erik remained quiet and still, watching intently, his body relaxed and ready.

Tony tore his eyes from the spectacle to look at Daniel. "Do you have a preference?"

Daniel shrugged. "Either would make a fine second. Erik is more laid back, but has many friends. Anton is serious and methodical. Different styles, but they would both get the job done."

Anton charged toward Erik, who remained still until the last possible second, darting to one side, then turning and snapping at Anton's haunches. The grey wolf managed to turn, snarling, and the two crashed together. They became a whirling, furry mass of muscle and teeth, much like Daniel and Patryk had in Gibbs' living room.

The wolves separated for a moment, backing away from each other and circling. Erik had a gash in his side; Anton had one in his neck and he appeared to be limping slightly.

They leapt forward, crashing together and resuming the fight. Erik appeared to be more agile; he turned more easily, and Tony thought that might give him the win. Moments later, there was a loud, high-pitched yelp. The two wolves separated; Anton shimmered and popped into his human form, a dark-haired man who appeared to be a little older than Erik. He lay in the street, hand against his side, blood flowing freely from the wound. "I yield," he panted, supporting himself on his forearm.

Erik remained standing in wolf form for several seconds, then he shifted back, turning to look at Daniel.

Daniel cleared his throat, instantly gaining the attention of everyone in the street. "Are there any who wish further challenge?"

There was some moving and grumbling in one part of the crowd where several large men and a few wolves stood. Erik kept his eyes on Daniel, ignoring it. The motion and sound died down; no one stepped forward.

"Then I declare Erik second in the pack."

Erik relaxed, smiling broadly, then wincing when he stretched the wound in his side. He stepped forward, inclining his head to Daniel, then went to check on Anton. "You fought well," he told the injured man.

The door opened behind Gibbs and Tony; a grey-haired, bearded man came out of the house, followed by Aleksandra, Ducky, and Jimmy. Ducky joined Gibbs and Tony, quietly telling them the man was one of the pack's doctors. He began tending to Anton, while Erik retrieved his clothes and the crowd dispersed.

Several pack members brought a stretcher over; they loaded Anton onto it, then headed off with the doctor towards one of the houses.

Now wearing jeans and carrying his shirt, Erik bounded up the steps, smiling. He lowered his head, murmuring Aleksandra's name, again performed a slight bow to Daniel, then turned to face the NCIS team. Daniel introduced them, and Erik shook hands with all of them. He grinned at Tony. "Wanna get together for a beer later? We've got a nice little pub one street over. I doubt you've had any time to relax." He looked at Palmer. "You should join us."

Jimmy stammered out a reply, lost as Ducky smoothly intervened. "I'm terribly sorry, but Mr. Palmer and I will be leaving shortly. We must get on with our part of the investigation."

An expression Tony couldn't quite read flashed over Erik's face. "Of course, Shaman Mallard. Losing Patryk and Karen – it's a blow." He looked at Daniel, who indicated he could continue with a slight lift of his chin. Erik turned to Gibbs. "Have you made any progress? Is there a way I can be of help?"

"We're good for the moment," Gibbs replied. "We'll see Ducky and Jimmy off, then I think we'd like to take another look at the house where Patryk was killed."

"Did Karen have her own place?" Tony asked.

Erik shook his head. "I believe she was planning to stay with a friend… but your other agents probably have that information by now."

Aleksandra pushed her way forward, looking at Erik's injury. "Come with me," she ordered. "You need that taken care of."

Daniel watched them go, then looked at Gibbs. "Feel free to investigate anywhere and anyone," he said. He turned to Tony. "Agent DiNozzo, bring your Agent McGee with you when you join Erik this evening. There is likely to be some upheaval in the pack tonight. Erik's supporters may be in some conflict with Anton's. There is no reason for anyone to target any of you, but I would be more comfortable if you did not walk the town alone at night."

Tony thanked him. Daniel held his hand out to Gibbs. "Thank you for investigating, Agent Gibbs. Arina told me of your speculations regarding Patryk's death. Such an act cannot be allowed to go unpunished. If we have such a diseased mind among us, we must put it down swiftly. Please keep me updated as to your progress." He went back into the house, leaving the team on the porch.

"Well!" Ducky exclaimed. "It's been quite an eventful time, hasn't it? Come, Mr. Palmer, we must be off." He set off in the direction of their quarters and vehicles. Gibbs and Tony trailed after him. Once they reached the house, they could see through the windows that Ziva and McGee were still conducting interviews. Ducky kept walking until he reached the medical examiner's van. "Mr. Palmer, would you be so good as to grab our bags?"

Jimmy hurried off. Ducky looked seriously at Gibbs. "Watch your step here, Jethro. These are dangerous people."

"Yeah, Duck, I got that impression, what with all the fights and blood and dead bodies."

Ducky shook his head. "No, all that is incidental. I had a fascinating discussion with the lovely Aleksandra. The woman, if that is the proper term, is extremely dangerous. In fact, I believe all of these werewolves might be. Not due to their physical weaponry, but due to their fanaticism."

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Aleksandra was the absolute soul of courtesy during our visit. I never had a chance to ask about the werewolves' behavior last night. She spent most of the time trying to make sure I understood the need for absolute secrecy regarding the werewolves. She made it clear that the pack above all else is to be protected. Every decision she makes, every decision Daniel makes, is for the good of the pack. If they were to decide it is too dangerous to let you leave with the knowledge you have, they'll kill you."

"They'd have no reason to," Gibbs responded thoughtfully. "Once you're safely away, you're our insurance. Killing us would only guarantee exposure."

Ducky nodded. "Yes, I'm well aware. I was only trying to make a point. Aleksandra feels she has nothing to lose when it comes to protecting the pack. As the pack's shaman, she is the guardian of their past and their future. Daniel is the guardian of their present. My professional opinion is that she's quite capable of having killed both Petty Officer Haynes and Patryk if for some reason she found them to be a threat to the pack."

Gibbs reached out to clasp his friend's shoulder. "We'll keep our eyes open, Duck."

Tony frowned. "You really think we're in danger?"

Ducky shook his head. "Honestly, no. Jethro is quite right, once Mr. Palmer and I are safely away, there's no positive outcome to be gained by killing you. They don't want the attention that would get them." He frowned. "I suppose I'm simply rattled by our conversation. It was quite apparent that these are not simply people who can turn into animals; they are something quite different. The way they think is far from human."

Jimmy came out of the house carrying their bags. Tony helped him load them into the truck, and he and Gibbs watched as Ducky and Jimmy drove away.

"I've never seen Ducky so worried, Jethro."

"Me neither." Gibbs stood silently looking in the direction they'd gone. "Alright," he said after a few minutes. "Let's head back to that house. I want to see it in daylight."

Tony fell into his usual place just behind him. "On your six, Boss."

Gibbs stopped and looked at Tony. "Watch yours too, Tone," he said softly.

Tony met his eyes. "Something hinky?"

Gibbs nodded. "Gut says yeah."

Tony took a deep breath. "Lions and tigers and werewolves, oh my," he muttered as they set off.


	8. Chapter 8

Confrontation

Dinner that night was subdued without Ducky and Jimmy. The team was running up against dead ends. Gibbs and Tony hadn't found anything at the house where Patryk had been killed; the only evidence was in the basement. McGee and Ziva had nothing to report. They'd interviewed over twenty werewolves, gone through Petty Officer Haynes' effects, and found nothing of note.

Karen Haynes was generally well-liked. She hadn't tried to advance in rank, considering herself too new to the pack. She'd made friends easily, and had caught the eye of a low-ranking male, but the relationship hadn't gotten very far due to her long absences. The witnesses to her collapse in the street all told basically the same story, with just enough variation to seem realistic instead of prepared. Karen had complained of dizziness and nausea before her collapse; they'd sent the information on to Ducky, who'd called them as soon as he and Jimmy had arrived safely in DC.

They were stuck waiting on Ducky and Abby for whatever the bodies could tell them. Tony and McGee were going to meet up with Erik and some of his friends after dinner; the plan was for McGee to distract the others with stories of past cases while Tony used his investigative skills to interrogate Erik without him knowing about it.

Tony got ready to head out, and Gibbs had to remind himself that Tony was an outstanding federal agent fully capable of taking care of himself. He hated the fact that Tony and McGee were meeting up with who knew how many werewolves without him, but he knew that as leader of the visiting pack, his presence would shut down any attempts to get intel.

Ziva seemed just as antsy as he felt. He'd told her to go with Tony and McGee, but she'd insisted on staying with him, reminding him of their need to stay in pairs. She also pointed out that Tony was right, they didn't know the culture, and they couldn't be sure that her presence wouldn't cause problems. She'd been the recipient of several offers of a night out from some of the males they'd interviewed; the fact that a night out apparently meant running through the forest chasing down prey hadn't helped them plead their cases.

The hours rolled by as Gibbs and Ziva waited. Two, then three. Ziva was pacing and muttering to herself. Gibbs was sitting on the couch in the living room, carving a shape into the surface of a block of wood. Tony had insisted that Gibbs bring wood and tools with him when they were likely to be stuck somewhere with nothing to do, and Gibbs had never been so grateful as he was now. If he hadn't had the wood to carve, he'd likely have started shooting something.

Almost four hours after Tony and McGee had left, the front door opened. Gibbs shot to his feet, block of wood forgotten. Ziva went into a defensive posture, reaching for one of her knives. Both stopped short at the sight of Tim McGee supported by Tony and Erik, stumbling and singing.

Tony looked up and grinned at Gibbs. "Pack brews potent liquor, Boss!"

McGee lifted his head. "Oh, SAY can you seeeeeeeeeeeee…"

Ziva winced and put her hands to her ears. She moved forward, taking Erik's place, and helped Tony get McGee up the stairs.

Erik stepped forward in front of Gibbs, lowering his head. He looked truly apologetic as he spoke. "I take full responsibility for your man's state, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs chuckled, making Erik look up in astonishment. "Might do him some good."

Erik blinked at that, opening his mouth, then closing it, then smiling tentatively. "Tony and I got to talking, and the others were swapping stories with Tim, and suddenly Tim was on the table doing a great rendition of Wicked Little Town."

Gibbs stared at him, a blank look on his face.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch?" Erik asked. "No? Um, anyway, we decided it would be best for Tony to take Tim home, and given how unsettled things are right now, I went with them to make sure no one challenged them."

Gibbs' gaze focused sharply on Erik, who instantly lowered his eyes. "What do you mean, challenge?"

"As you saw earlier today, when Anton challenged me for the second's rank." Erik glanced at Gibbs, then quickly lowered his eyes again.

"Why would a werewolf challenge any of my people? We're not part of your pack."

Erik cleared his throat. "Well, it wouldn't be related to rank in your, uh, team. If anyone challenged one of you, it would be to gain status. Challenging a member of a visiting pack isn't really encouraged, but some try it to gain confidence, or intimidate others of their own pack."

"Which of us would be at risk?"

"You," Erik said frankly. "Or Tony. Not much to be gained by challenging Tim or your female… sorry, I never got her name." He glanced up the stairs, clearly wishing Tony would return. "I'd advise staying inside tonight. There've been a few serious fights already. Things always get a little shaky when there's a change in the top ranks… and it's only been a year since Patryk became second."

Gibbs stared at Erik, then nodded slowly. "We'll do that. Thanks."

Erik grinned, reminding Gibbs of Tony. "Great. That's a relief. A bunch of us are planning a hunt to celebrate, but if you were going to wander around, I was going to stay put."

Tony came down the stairs. "Got McGoo all snug like a bug in a rug, Boss."

Gibbs watched tolerantly while Erik held up his hand and the two high-fived. "Hey," Tony exclaimed, "Good hunting tonight!"

"Thanks! I'm just hoping I don't get another challenge." Erik turned to Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs," he inclined his head with a bit more of the gravity they were used to seeing from the werewolves. "See you tomorrow!" Erik bounded out through the front door, already removing his shirt.

Gibbs followed, setting the deadbolt in place. He returned to the living room to find Tony sitting on the couch, waiting for him, his expression pensive. Gibbs sat next to him, looking at him warily. "Not gonna start singing, are ya?"

"What?" Tony laughed. "Nah, I didn't drink all that much. Although I do sing much better than McWarble up there." He quieted down, shaking his head. "I like him, Jethro."

"Mmm. He reminds me of you."

"Yeah. Could be one of my frat brothers."

"That bothers you. Think he's our guy?"

"I dunno." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm missing something. The pieces are floating around in my head, but they're not fitting together. I know I have the key, though. Something I heard today… but I can't place it." He looked seriously at Gibbs. "I really don't want it to be him, Jethro. He's a good guy. Cares about the pack, like Ducky said, but he sees pack members as individuals, not just parts of a whole."

"But…" Gibbs prompted.

"But he's awfully happy to be Daniel's new second," Tony sighed. "Doesn't seem to show any remorse about Patryk's death."

"Would he, though?" Gibbs asked thoughtfully. "Arina said they don't mourn the dead the way we do."

"So our investigative skills could mean squat. And maybe what I think I'm missing isn't there to be missed."

Ziva joined them. "McGee is fast asleep. I have never seen him like that before." She sat in an armchair, looking slightly startled.

"I wasn't kidding about their brew… really potent stuff."

"Did you get anything out of Erik?" she asked.

"Nothing about Patryk. He was respected, for the most part. A few of the high-ranking males didn't like him, but they probably wouldn't like anybody. One thing I did pick up on… there's some friction in the pack about their long-term future."

Gibbs sat up straight. "How so?"

"I didn't get the whole thing… like Ducky said, they don't really think like we do. But it seems as if there's two basic factions: the traditionalists and the progressives. The traditionalists are like Aleksandra, and she's their most important spokesperson. They want to stay hidden, keep to the old ways. The progressives are led by the ones who joined the military, have a broader experience with humans. They see opportunity, while the traditionalists only see danger."

"That way lies madness…" Ziva said softly. "It is an age-old argument."

"But is it an argument that got Patryk and Karen Haynes killed?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged. "At the moment, it's all we've got. And even then that's a maybe. _Maybe_ it explains Patryk's death, since he was one of the pack leaders. But it doesn't explain Karen's."

Gibbs slumped a little in his seat. "Got to wait for Abby and Ducky. They should have something for us in the morning. Let's get some rest."

Tony got up, said goodnight to Ziva, and made his way to the stairs. Gibbs held out a hand to help Ziva up, then looked at her, eyebrow raised. Ziva rolled her eyes. "I got the message, Gibbs."

He smiled, nodded once, and followed his second up the stairs.

Morning came, along with an extremely hungover McGee who stumbled, pale and wretched, into the kitchen. He sat heavily at the table next to Tony, folding his arms on its surface and squinting at nothing in particular. Gibbs was about to send him back upstairs, but his phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and looked at the display, moving it further back and squinting, then shooting Tony a mild glare to keep him from commenting. "Ducky." He hit a couple of buttons and put the phone down on the table. "You're on speaker, Duck."

" _Very good, Jethro. I do apologize for the manner of my departure yesterday. That was a most unsettling conversation. I can't recall another time I was so off my game, unless it was back in –"_

"Dr. Mallard. You didn't call just to apologize."

" _No indeed. I have information for you, quite relevant to our two guests. Abigail is here as well."_

" _Hi guys! Miss you! Gibbs, no one is bringing me Caff-Pow. I can't work properly under these conditions."_

"Hey Abs!" Tony spoke up, a bit louder than necessary. McGee flinched. "Nice going, taking Timmy to see Hedwig!" McGee groaned and dropped his head onto his arms.

" _Thanks! Um, why?"_

"Never mind!" Gibbs barked, simultaneously giving Tony a head-slap. Tony grinned at him while rubbing the back of his head. "What 'cha got, Abs?"

" _Well,"_ she said, _"Petty Officer Karen Haynes was poisoned!"_

"What was it?"

" _Methanol, Jethro,"_ Ducky cut in. _"Not a large dose, but enough. Symptoms may not appear for twelve to twenty-four hours after ingestion. The poor girl was dead before she ever set out for Dayton; she just didn't know it. Dizziness and nausea are known symptoms, and her lungs and brain were swollen with fluid, more positive indications. We also have enough evidence of metabolic acidosis to be fairly certain of the diagnosis."_

Ziva glanced around the table. "So her death may be completely unrelated to having been a werewolf."

"Which means we don't need to investigate Patryk's death anymore." Tony sounded disappointed. Gibbs understood the sentiment.

"Anything about Patryk?"

" _I tested the samples for blood type and DNA, Gibbs,"_ Abby replied. _"One blood type that doesn't match Patryk, and only one other person's, uh, werewolf's, DNA. The usual markers are strange, though, so I can't even tell you for sure if it's male or female. But I could match it if you get me samples."_

"One killer," Tony mused.

" _No match on any database,"_ she added.

"That eliminates any of the werewolves who have served," Tony pointed out.

"Cause of death what we thought, Duck?"

" _Yes, Jethro. Many minor injuries, but the wound to the throat was the culprit. He died from a combination of bleeding out and suffocation; his trachea was severely damaged. Now, I can't be one hundred percent certain, but it does appear, based on various measurements, that the injuries were all caused by the same set of teeth."_

Abby chimed in. _"There were no drugs in his system. Totally clean."_

McGee raised his head from where it had been resting on his forearms. "That brings us back to it being someone he trusted."

Tony frowned. "Based on his list of friends, there's quite a few suspects."

McGee frowned. "Ducky, can we be sure of the blood tests on Patryk? What if werewolf physiology is too different from ours?"

" _Ah, excellent question, Timothy! Aleksandra and the pack's doctor, Edward, a charming man, gave me a chart of normal parameters for werewolf plasma and formed elements. Everything comes in as normal for a werewolf, and it isn't really all that far off from humans."_

"Way to go, McME! Hungover and everything!" Tony grinned at him; McGee shot him an annoyed look and then winced, his hand going to his head.

" _What was that?"_ Abby asked.

"Thanks, Duck, Abs." Gibbs hung up. He surveyed his team. "Tim, go get your head on straight. You and Ziva pack up the house, make sure it's in the same order it was when we got here. Tony, let's go talk to Daniel. We'll pass along Ducky's report and let him decide what to do. Out of our hands now."

"Think he'll want our help?"

"Doubt it. Even if he does, Aleksandra doesn't. And Petty Officer Haynes gets priority."

Gibbs and Tony put on their NCIS jackets and caps, and strapped on their guns, despite knowing them to be useless. They set out toward the center of the town and the pack leaders' home.

Tony walked next to Gibbs. "Still feel like I just need one more piece of the puzzle to figure it out."

Gibbs glanced at him, but kept walking. Tony took that as a sign to continue. "If Patryk's killer wasn't in the military, that eliminates a lot of the werewolves, but still leaves a fair number. Eric never served… neither did Anton. About half the guys we hung out with last night have served or are on leave. I don't think Daniel did… did we ever ask him? I'm sure Aleksandra didn't."

Gibbs listened, but didn't say anything. He was getting a bad feeling about this. "Tony," he interrupted, "stay sharp."

Startled, Tony quieted. "Got 'cha, Boss."

They turned onto the road where Daniel and Aleksandra lived, only to see a small group of werewolves, all in human form and dressed, talking with Erik, Daniel, and Aleksandra. The pack leaders seemed relaxed, leaning on the porch railing. Aleksandra was the first to see them coming; she watched them approach, then stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. The others looked in their direction; Erik smiled and Daniel came down the steps to greet them.

"Agent Gibbs, Agent DiNozzo," Daniel said, "how can we help your investigation this morning?"

Gibbs shook Daniel's offered hand. "It may be over, actually." Tony noticed Aleksandra's sudden, subtle smile. "We just got word that Petty Officer Haynes was poisoned, hours before she arrived here in Dayton. Probably has nothing to do with Patryk's death."

Daniel looked surprised. "Poisoned? But why?"

"We don't know yet. We'll follow up as soon as we get back to DC."

Erik stepped forward. "You're leaving now?" Aleksandra glared at him. Arina, who had been standing near Erik, frowned.

Gibbs nodded. "Patryk's death is outside our jurisdiction if it's not related to Petty Officer Haynes' murder." He looked at Daniel. "You remember Abby?" Daniel nodded. "She's our forensics expert. She found evidence of only one attacker on Patryk's body, and Dr. Mallard's autopsy confirms her results."

Daniel frowned. "There are few who could have single-handedly taken him down."

Erik nodded. "Patryk didn't trust easily, and he was an excellent fighter. I don't understand it."

Tony stared at Erik. "Say that again." Gibbs' eyes narrowed, studying him. He recognized that tone of voice.

"What, that Patryk was an excellent fighter?"

"No," Tony shook his head. "The other thing."

"He didn't trust easily?"

"That's it, Boss." Tony turned to look at Gibbs, smiling. "I knew it was something I heard. Trust. Patryk had no reason to be at that house, so he went there with someone he trusted. There was no evidence of a struggle, and we know he wasn't drugged; he went there _with_ someone. Someone he trusted." He took a deep breath. "We know he died in human form; Arina said it likely meant the fighters agreed to take a break, shift back… and then his opponent killed him."

All Gibbs' senses seemed unusually sharp. Erik's outraged exclamation, Aleksandra's indignant protest, Daniel's silence, Arina's submissive posture, the growling of the other werewolves… everything registered. He was reacting to an imminent threat, but he couldn't identify its source.

Ziva and McGee were coming rapidly down the street. Gibbs wasn't surprised; he could feel Tony's tension, and he was sure they were reacting to the same sense of danger. He felt pride in his team, even as he readied for _something_ to happen.

Tony looked at Daniel. "Abby told us the DNA she got from Patryk's body doesn't match any searches in any database, so his killer never served in the military. That narrows it down. His killer had to be among the strongest, best fighters here, and had to be someone Patryk wouldn't question."

Erik paled, staring at Tony, then turning toward Daniel. The color drained from Aleksandra's face as well.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. He surveyed the surrounding pack members, then glared at Tony. "Challenge," he growled.

Tony stared back, defiant. "You killed your own second. He _trusted_ you." He seemed to brace himself; Gibbs could see the quickly masked fear in his eyes.

Daniel removed his shirt and stepped out of his jeans. "Challenge," he repeated, his voice descending into a rumbling growl as he shifted into wolf form. The dark wolf from several nights past was there, ears forward, teeth gleaming, eyes furious, snarling and stalking toward Tony.

" _No_ ," Gibbs declared, stepping in front of Tony, who gave a wordless protest.

Aleksandra growled and moved forward. "Challenge has been issued. Your second must accept or acknowledge defeat."

Gibbs glared at her. "And what exactly does that mean?"

Erik cleared his throat, nervously watching Daniel. "Tony would become subject to Daniel."

"Not a chance in hell," Gibbs growled. "You know Daniel would kill him. I'll take on the challenge."

It was Tony's turn to issue demands. "No way, Jethro. You're not sacrificing yourself for me."

"Damn it, Tony –"

"Enough!" Aleksandra strode forward, laying a hand on Daniel's furry shoulder. "Challenge has been issued. You cannot accept it for another, Agent Gibbs." She glared at him. "You have been our guest. You will abide by our laws, or the pack will destroy all of you."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "NCIS knows where we are. Others will come after us."

Aleksandra dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "If we must leave, so be it. We have done it many times before."

Tony grabbed Gibbs' arm. "Jethro, I'm sorry. I was stupid… let my mouth get ahead of my brain. Can't let you do this for me – they'll just kill me anyway."

"You can't fight a wolf, Tony!"

"Yes, he can." Ziva stepped forward, reaching into her jacket and drawing her two silver knives. "Here, Tony, use these."

Daniel snarled and crouched. Erik growled sharply, and the rest of the werewolves whined, growled, or demonstrated similar discomfort as they backed away. Aleksandra snarled; Gibbs could have sworn her teeth lengthened. "Silver?! How dare you bring such here!"

"You can't expect him to fight unarmed! What kind of a challenge is that, wolf against human?" Gibbs threw the words in her face. "If he has to fight, at least give him the means to defend himself! Or do werewolves have no honor?"

Erik stepped forward, eyeing the knives uneasily. "Aleksandra, he speaks well. If what Tony says is true, Daniel has already compromised pack honor once. To do so again…"

Aleksandra snarled at him. "You overreach. Let the truth of his words be proven with the challenge."

Erik nodded reluctantly. "First blood," he stated.

Aleksandra growled, then smiled, showing teeth. "First blood it is, but first blood can still kill."

Erik glanced between Tony and Daniel, then grimaced. "Agreed." He stepped forward to grab Gibbs' arm, dragging him away from Tony. "You can't help him now," he whispered through gritted teeth. "Just hope he wins – otherwise we're all dead." He kept his firm hold on Gibbs' arm as a precaution.

Tony, pale but determined, took off his cap and jacket, taking the knives from Ziva and testing their balance and heft. He wished he'd gotten the chance to take few practice throws, not that he wanted to put any distance between himself and his only protection.

He was dimly aware of the werewolves moving to form a large circle, some of them shimmering and popping into wolf form. He was aware of Ziva's intensity, McGee's astonished and worried expression, and Gibbs' fury at being restrained. Most of his attention was on Daniel, who was circling him warily, clearly concerned about the silver knives.

Tony tried to remember every skill he'd ever learned, from camp, from Ziva, from Gibbs. He crouched, moving to maintain his distance from his opponent, keeping one knife close, holding the other steadily in front of him, hoping to make Daniel think twice before charging. The wolf outweighed him, probably by a lot; he wouldn't get too many chances.

The circling continued. Tony kept eye contact with Daniel, searching for some sign of intent to attack. His legs began to ache as he kept himself ready to change direction at the first sign of trouble. Daniel never looked away from him, his eyes flat with hate. Saliva dripped from between his teeth, and he kept up a deep rumbling growl as he moved, slowly and deliberately lifting and placing his huge paws on the ground.

Tony could feel the sweat running down his back and along the side of his face. He kept moving, waiting for Daniel to make the first move.

Daniel suddenly charged forward, dancing aside at the last moment, avoiding the blade's edge as it sliced past him. Snarling, he began circling in the opposite direction, looking for an opening. Tony considered taking a chance with a throw, but remembered how quickly the werewolves could move. He decided he was better off biding his time, staying on the defensive, letting Daniel give him his chance.

It was over much more quickly than he'd expected.

Daniel charged again, making a sudden sharp turn, targeting Tony's leg. Tony leapt and spun, slashing with the knife. He connected, feeling the blade slice through flesh, hearing the wound sizzle and the high-pitched cry of pain.

He backed away quickly, right into Gibbs' arms. Gibbs stood protectively at his side, staring at Aleksandra. McGee and Ziva stepped forward, one on either side of the two men.

Daniel snapped at his side where the knife had bitten into him. The wound was smoking, as if he were being cooked. He shifted into human form with an angry scream.

The same doctor who'd tended to Anton the day before ran forward, but was stopped by Aleksandra's raised hand. Erik stepped forward, motioning the doctor back. The werewolves encircling the area backed away, all silent now and watching intently.

Erik stared at Daniel. "Tony's words are proven true by the challenge."

Daniel snarled at him, looking up, his eyes filled with hate. "He is human, he used silver, his win means nothing!"

Aleksandra hissed and stood at Erik's side. "You cannot use our laws to claim challenge against a human, then claim they don't matter." She looked at Tony, who returned her gaze steadily. She then looked out over the crowd and beckoned to Arina. "Does Agent DiNozzo speak truly?" she asked. "Did Patryk die betrayed?"

Arina, head lowered, sank to her knees. "I believe so, Shaman. Agent DiNozzo asked me if Patryk would have shifted back to human form when he died. That was when I realized he must have been killed thinking the fight was paused for healing."

Erik moved toward her, reaching down to cup her chin in his hand and raise her head. "What did you see when you witnessed the scene?" His words had the cadence of a ritual.

"Blood in and on Patryk's mouth. Wounds from tooth, scratches from claw." Her response was equally formulaic.

Aleksandra approached Daniel. "Tell me, how did you act at the scene of his death?"

Daniel pushed himself up onto his feet and stood shakily. The knife would had stopped sizzling and smoking, but looked raw and angry and was dripping blood. "Patryk took advantage of his position. He went behind my back, encouraging others to broaden our contacts with humans. He was my second, not pack leader! He overstepped, sought to take _my_ power. The pack is _mine_ , mine and yours to rule. You, of all of us, should understand why I did what I did." His eyes, furious and filled with pain, searched hers.

Aleksandra stared at him. Her arm rose, and Tony thought she was going to hug him. She slapped him across the face instead, hard, and let loose a scream of rage and heartbreak.

The werewolves were motionless and silent.

Aleksandra stared at Daniel. "Nothing, _nothing_ excuses such a profound betrayal. _Pack first._ You should have convened a council."

Erik moved to her side. "You weren't sure the council would agree with you." He shook his head, his eyes pained. "You weren't willing to risk your power," he concluded sadly.

He turned and faced Aleksandra, deferring to her.

She stared at her mate, then stepped forward, raising her arms to just above her shoulders, palms facing outward. She held her head high, staring ahead, above Daniel instead of looking at him. Tony could see the tears in her eyes. "For betrayal of pack and defiance of our laws, I name you outcast," she declared in a ringing voice. "As shaman, I declare it so."

Daniel stared at her. " _No_ ," he whispered, shaking. " _Please._ "

Erik stepped forward, settling his hands on his hips, staring straight ahead. "For betrayal of pack and defiance of our laws, I name you outcast," he repeated. "As pack second and highest rank, I declare it so."

Daniel threw back his head and howled. He shifted into wolf form and stumbled away, limping toward the forest, his movements jerky and desperate. The werewolves in his path melted away, giving him room.

They all watched until he disappeared into the woods.

Aleksandra lowered her arms. "Are there any who wish to challenge Erik as pack leader?" she asked in a trembling voice.

No one moved or spoke.

"Then I declare Erik our new first," she stated, before turning and moving slowly into the house, her head held high.

Tony felt the knives slip from his hands and fall to the ground. Ziva tsked, picking them up quickly. "Always take proper care of your weapons, Tony," she said softly, smiling at Gibbs as she set off for the house. McGee simply stood there, staring at Tony, until Ziva retraced her steps and pulled him along with her.

Gibbs turned Tony to face him. "You okay?"

Tony blinked and stared at him. "I fought a werewolf, Jethro." He smiled.

Gibbs laughed and hugged him. "You sure did." He held Tony close. "Thank God you're alright," he murmured more quietly into Tony's ear.

They stood there for a few moments, arms around each other, until a hesitant throat-clearing reminded them of where they were. They separated to find Erik standing there, Arina next to him. "You okay, Tony?" Erik asked.

Tony nodded. "I may have a nightmare or two, but yeah, I think I'm alright."

"You fought well," Arina said, smiling at him.

"I'm sorry your leader turned out to be a psychotic killer," Tony said, the words almost falling over themselves. Gibbs tapped him on the head.

Erik smiled, although without humor. "We owe you a debt. What he did… he'd likely have done it again. Without trust in leadership, the pack cannot survive."

"What will happen to Daniel?" Gibbs asked.

Erik looked up at the sky. "He has until nightfall."

"Then what?"

"Then the pack will hunt him down. If they catch him, they'll tear him apart."

They were all silent for several seconds. "That knife wound," Tony began.

Erik nodded. "He won't get far." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked earnestly at the two men. "Will you stay one more night? There will be a ceremony tomorrow morning, an induction, if you will, and you have a place of honor, Tony, as the one who discovered the truth and defeated the betrayer."

Gibbs nodded. "We'll stay."

Erik smiled. "Thank you." Then he sighed. "If you don't mind, I should go to Aleksandra." He reached out to shake their hands, then jogged back to the house, Arina at his side.

Gibbs and Tony stared at each other. Tony gave him a goofy smile. "I think I'd like to lie down, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded, recognizing the exhaustion that followed the rush of fighting for survival. He put an arm around Tony's waist, and they walked slowly back to the guest house. They found Ziva and McGee sitting at the kitchen table. Gibbs held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Taking Tony upstairs. Take the day, relax, whatever. We're staying until tomorrow. Let Ducky and Abby know."

He heard Ziva offer to make McGee some tea as he helped Tony up the stairs. He guided his lover and second to their bedroom at the end of the hall, closing the door behind them and then helping Tony get undressed and into bed. The younger man was asleep within minutes. Gibbs spent the next several hours lying next to Tony, holding him, and thinking about what could have happened.


	9. Chapter 9

Debrief

Tony blinked his eyes open as the snarl of a wolf faded into the recesses of his memory. He was lying on his back; he turned his head to look into Gibbs' eyes. Those eyes gazed back at him steadily.

"You okay, Tone?"

Tony nodded, then turned away to stretch his neck, back, and limbs before lifting the sheets out of the way and settling himself on top of his lover. "You know, this would be more fun if we weren't wearing clothes."

Gibbs smiled, reaching up run his fingers through Tony's hair. "You were twitching and muttering in your sleep. Figured you were having nightmares. Almost woke you."

Tony leaned down and brushed his lips over Gibbs'. "Glad you didn't. Nightmares now means I'll be okay later. Better if I'm not repressing it."

There was a knock on the door. "Gibbs? Tony?"

Tony rested his forehead on Gibbs'. "First those beady little eyes on the way over here. Now this. She's turning into stalker," he complained.

Gibbs grinned at him. "What is it, Ziver?" he called out.

"There is a young man here, says he is to take you to Erik if you wish, whenever you are ready."

Tony levered himself up and off the bed, almost tangling up in the sheets and falling over. He got out of them with a muffled curse and strode to the door, opening it quickly. Ziva stood just a little too close to it, and started visibly before settling herself.

Tony glared at her. "How long have you been listening at the door?"

Ziva's chin lifted. "Only long enough to hear voices. I could not hear what was said. I did not want to wake you, but I did not want to keep Martin waiting too long."

Tony sighed. "Sorry, Zee. Guess I'm gonna have to try to relax a bit more."

Ziva shook her head and smiled, glancing past Tony to see Gibbs getting out of bed. "You are protective of him. That is good… he needs it, even if he will never admit it." She looked up at Tony seriously. "I promise you I will never intentionally invade your privacy again."

Tony's eyes widened. "What do you mean, _again_?"

Gibbs rested his hand on Tony's shoulder. "I took care of it, Tony." He looked at Ziva. "Tell Martin we'll be down in five."

Ziva nodded, smiled at them both, then headed for the stairs. Gibbs shut the bedroom door, pulling Tony in for a kiss.

As soon as they broke apart, Tony repeated himself. "What did she mean, _again_?"

Gibbs looked at his watch. "Less than four minutes left. Better get cracking." He set off for the bathroom, grinning at Tony's frustrated growl.

They came downstairs to see a tall, thin young man at the kitchen table with McGee, who was gaping at him, his face astonished. The young man rose to his feet as soon as he noticed their approach, hunching over and lowering his head, turning it sideways. "Agent Gibbs, Agent DiNozzo," he said quietly and respectfully. They could see scars on his neck, one trailing down under his shirt. "My name is Martin."

"Hi, Martin!" Tony smiled and held out his hand. Martin's eyes widened; he reached out hesitantly. Tony took his hand and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you."

Gibbs glanced at his senior field agent, then followed his lead, also shaking Martin's hand. "Likewise," he said.

Martin stared at his own hand after Gibbs let it go, then smiled shyly. "Erik has offered to speak with both of you if you like; he is sure you have many questions."

"Sounds good," Gibbs said. "Now okay?"

Martin nodded. He turned toward McGee and Ziva. "It was nice to meet you both."

Ziva smiled at him, while McGee continued to sit there with his mouth open. Ziva saw Gibbs and Tony shooting him strange looks; she frowned and reached out to close McGee's mouth. His teeth clicked. "What is wrong with you?" she asked. Tony and Gibbs could only make out a garbled noise as they left the house.

"What's up with McGee?" Tony asked Martin.

Martin answered without making eye contact. "We were exchanging hacking stories; he asked how the town supports itself economically. I told him about Amazon."

"The rainforest?" Gibbs asked.

Tony barely stopped himself from delivering a head slap. "C'mon, Boss, no way you're _that_ ignorant."

Martin smiled. "Ever since online commerce started up, werewolf communities have supported themselves that way, allowing us to stay separate from humans' everyday lives. Amazon's founder heads one of the northwest packs. Our communities are linked; we run a warehouse a few hours from here."

There was a snarl from behind them. They all turned to see a large, angry man staring at Martin, arms folded over his chest. "What right do you have to share our secrets?" he demanded.

Martin blinked and began to cower. Tony stepped up, resting a hand on Martin's shoulder. The low-ranking werewolf froze, then straightened up. "I have every right," he replied quietly. "Erik sent me to our visitors, and told me to answer their questions. I am liaison, like Arina before me."

"You? Liaison?" The man took a step forward.

Martin whimpered quietly. Tony squeezed his shoulder, and Martin took a deep breath. "Obviously," he said, his voice shaky. "Don't you see who is with me?"

The man stared at Tony and Gibbs, then shrugged. "Humans. So?"

Martin shook his head. "Where were you this morning?"

The man's brow furrowed. "I just got back from a two-day shift."

"You know what happened to Daniel?"

The man rolled his eyes. "I have a phone, idiot. Daniel is outcast. I came back early to join the hunt."

"This man here, Agent DiNozzo, he's the one who defeated Daniel and proved his betrayal."

Martin's antagonist backed up a step. "The one who used silver."

"That's me," Tony spoke up cheerfully.

"I… uh, good day to you," he said quickly, before walking rapidly away in the opposite direction.

Martin watched him go. "I'm not omega anymore," he whispered.

Tony dropped his hand and looked at him carefully. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Martin turned and smiled at him. "It's a very good thing. I'm not strong or coordinated, so I lose challenges. Daniel's defeater supported me; I'll never be omega again. Thank you."

"Is that guy omega now?"

Martin shook his head. "No, we didn't actually fight... but it's not like we'd have exchanged ranks anyway. I didn't back down, though. The pack will turn to another to be omega."

"Congratulations," Tony said, smiling.

"Erik's waiting for us," Gibbs reminded them.

Tony made a show of rolling his eyes. "Give the guy a moment, will ya? Let him bask in the glory of his non-omeganess." He winked at Gibbs, whose lips almost twitched into a smile in return.

Martin led them the rest of the way, back to Aleksandra's and Daniel's house. "Isn't this…" Tony began, but stopped when Erik stepped outside.

The new pack leader looked at Martin. "Thank you, Martin. And congratulations." Martin dipped his head, flushing. Erik winked at Tony, then spoke again to Martin. "Keep your eyes on the young ones. When one falls into omega, help him or her." Martin nodded, backing away, then turning to head down the street.

Erik grinned at them. "I was hoping making him liaison would raise him up. He's been omega way too long. Come on in."

"Uh… is Aleksandra here?" Tony asked. "Can't believe I'm her favorite person right now."

Erik's smile faded. "This is the pack leader's home. Aleksandra and I talked for a long time after you left this morning. We agreed that shaman and first should be separate; there was too much consolidation of power when she and Daniel bonded. She has moved back to the traditional shaman's home a few streets away." He led them into the house and back toward the study.

"How'd you know about Martin's status change?" Gibbs asked.

Erik turned around and tapped his nose. "Pheromones. Scent tells us status."

They entered the study, which was already very different from what it had been when it was Daniel's. Erik's desk faced the wall, leaving no barriers between him and his guests. Tony sat in the same chair as before; Gibbs moved toward the matching chair, but Erik shook his head, holding out his hand. "Sorry Agent Gibbs, that's Patryk's chair. It will remain empty as a tribute for a cycle of the moon." Erik moved the chair off to one side, pulling another one forward for Gibbs. He then grabbed the chair from in front of the desk and swiveled it around to face them. Tony noticed that it was the same one Daniel had used.

"So," Erik said, smiling at them. "I figured you'd have some questions, and I also wanted to give you a heads-up about tomorrow morning's ceremony." He laughed quietly. "More of a party, really."

Tony leaned forward. "You said I'd have a part to play?"

Erik nodded. "Guest of honor, really. You don't have to do much, just react appropriately at the right times."

"I get the feeling you're not going to tell me what those are."

Erik grinned at him. "Nope. Your reactions need to be genuine." He tapped his nose. "Downside to having a superior sense of smell. If you act surprised but you aren't, we can tell. Last thing the pack needs right now is a reason to doubt the power transfer."

Gibbs cocked his head and narrowed his eyes at Erik. "You're using Tony for political gain."

Erik transferred the grin to him. "Sure am. You too." He sat up straighter. "It's not a bad thing, really. You won't have to commit to anything, or swear fealty, or any other nonsense. We just need honest reactions from all of you. Nothing to be apprehensive about, but if you want to be worried, that's okay."

Tony scowled at him. "I take it back, you couldn't be one of my frat brothers."

Erik's face lit up. "Yes, I could! Pledged at NYU."

Tony sat back with a grin. "Hence Hedwig."

"Love Broadway," Erik sighed. "Really, all you need to know is that you're going to be honored, Tony. And it's a big deal. Believe me, we are all well aware of how difficult it is for a human to fight one of us when we're in wolf form." He looked at Gibbs. "Aleksandra wants to make amends for her earlier, ah, animosity. Please just go with it."

"With what?"

"Can't tell you. Genuine reactions, remember? And tell McGee and your female to just relax and enjoy. Werewolf parties are a blast. We have to be so formal most of the time, 'cause hey, fanged killers. But when we have an induction like this, there's an agreement: no challenges, no tests, just everyone have a good time."

"We'll have to keep McGee away from your home brew," Tony mused.

Erik grinned. "Only if you really want. He's fun."

Tony smiled, but it didn't last. "So… why exactly did Daniel challenge me? I mean, I get it was to defend himself, but what did he really hope to gain from it?"

Erik sighed. "Daniel… he's complicated. He's been first for a long time… close to twenty years. He was always a tough one, but he got worse once he and Aleksandra bonded. It wasn't really her fault, wasn't intentional. They sort of fed off each other, got more extreme. I didn't see it happening, because I was in college. Most of us either train here for some sort of career within the pack or join the military, but I was one of the few who wanted a more academic pursuit. Came back with my MBA and some kick ass computer skills. I'm no Martin, but still. Anyway… he challenged you because it was the only way to divert attention from the accusation of betrayal." Erik reached up to rub his forehead. "Wasn't really a brilliant plan… if he'd killed you, he'd have brought dishonor on the pack. If he'd injured you, your accusation would have been deemed false, but only officially. No way anyone was going to ignore what you'd said and what Arina reported. His leadership was probably doomed as soon as he called you in, but he was too arrogant to see it."

"He'd never have called me if it hadn't been for Petty Officer Haynes," Gibbs offered.

"Nope. I guess he figured you'd investigate both and come up empty when there was no connection between the two."

Tony was frowning. "Who called her death in to NCIS in the first place?"

"One of our youngsters on leave from his naval post… your training is too good. He didn't even think twice. Daniel caught on to what he was doing, but too late to stop him. So, he called you… well, called the main number and got transferred to you saying he had information on the case."

They all sat quietly for a moment. Tony checked his watch. "You said he has until nightfall."

Erik nodded. "The entire pack will be out for blood… most of it, anyway. I'm sure Aleksandra won't participate; she loved him in her own way. There may be a few others who choose not to go." He shrugged. "Betraying pack is just about the worst thing a werewolf can do." He looked at Tony, clearly understanding his discomfort. "If he can remain hidden or get far enough away, and is still alive at sunrise, he'll be safe. And he just might do it, too. He's crafty enough."

"What did the silver do to him?"

Erik grimaced. "Silver interferes with our cellular metabolism. Edward explained it to me once, but biochemistry was never my thing. It causes a reaction that spreads through living tissue... that burning effect."

"He seemed to be getting better," Gibbs offered, glancing at Tony.

Erik shook his head. "Only on the surface. We heal quickly… but that burning was spreading inward. Reactions vary… some individuals handle it better than others. I don't know how Daniel will handle it; I don't think he's ever been hit with silver before."

Tony's brow furrowed. "There was no sign of that kind of reaction on Lieutenant Conrad… is that because the arrow killed him instantly?"

Erik shrugged. "Maybe? Or maybe he was one of the few who don't react to silver that way. Still killed him."

Tony sighed, clearly unhappy about the situation. Gibbs reached out and put a hand on his thigh.

Erik looked at the two of them. "Don't feel responsible, Tony. He chose to challenge, and you had every right to defend yourself. He'd probably have killed you if you didn't have those knives. And it's not like we couldn't have helped him."

"What?"

"There's a mixture of herbs that negates the effects of silver, if you have enough of it. We withheld it because of what Daniel did to Patryk."

"Okay." Tony sat silently for a moment. "Yeah, I feel a little less guilty now."

Erik smiled. "Good."

Gibbs squeezed Tony's thigh and let go. "My people okay to walk around town, or are things still too unsettled?"

Erik considered the question. "You should be fine to wander around until dark. You might want to stay in after that. I don't anticipate any problems, but… an entire town of werewolves in bloodlust, not really cuddly puppy time, if you know what I mean."

Tony raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "This party… what time and where?"

"Nine a.m., big field at the end of town, across the street from where Patryk was killed, actually."

"We'll be there."

"Thanks for staying. It will help give many of the pack closure." Erik rose to his feet. "I have a few things I need to do before the hunt," he said apologetically.

Gibbs and Tony stood too. "Got a second yet?" Gibbs asked.

Erik shook his head. "There are a few contenders. Something might shake out tonight. I have a feeling Anton might just take the spot."

"Anton?" Tony looked at him, surprised. "But he challenged you."

Erik nodded. "We'd never fought before. He probably respects me now more than he did… and he knows I'll beat him if he challenges again. Sometimes that makes for the best second."

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed. "They know their place."

Tony glared at him. "Just for that, forget about getting lucky tonight."

Gibbs laughed. "I think I can persuade you to cooperate."

Tony shook his head, but he was smiling. "You're probably right. But it will be fun to make you ask nicely."

Erik smiled at them. "You guys are cute."

Gibbs' hand twitched. Tony reached out and grabbed his arm. "No head slapping the werewolf, Boss."

Gibbs smiled. "C'mon, Tone, let's get McGee and Ziva and go for a hike."

"Team bonding time?"

"Yeah, why not. Been a while."

Eric snapped his fingers. "Ziva! That's it. Don't know why I can't seem to remember."

Tony rolled his eyes. "We won't tell her." He paused and looked at Erik. "I don't know whether to wish you good hunting or not," he admitted.

"I get that," Erik said. "It's okay. Have a good hike, guys."

They left the house and went to meet up with the others. Tony stomach growled, loudly. "Think I missed lunch, Jethro."

"We'll eat first, then hike."

"Sounds like a plan." Tony grinned suddenly. "Race you!" he yelled, taking off toward the house.

Gibbs laughed and let him go, perfectly content to watch Tony run.


	10. Chapter 10

Wolf-Friend

Hiking had been fun. It had been a long time since the team had gotten together, just the four of them, to do something so unrelated to work. Tim shared some of his knowledge from his Scouting days, and Gibbs even told a few stories from his camping vacations as a kid. Ziva practiced her ability to move silently, successfully sneaking up on Tony and McGee. She tried it once on Gibbs; just before she was about to drop down from a tree right behind him, he made an off-hand remark concerning a weakness in the branch she was on – without ever looking up. The branch broke, but she executed a mid-air twist that had her landing on her feet and earning her applause from Tony and Tim and an approving grin from Gibbs.

They made sure to be back in town well before dark. Gibbs grilled some steaks for dinner while Ziva put a salad together and the others worked on side dishes. They ate in a comfortable silence, watching the light change and sky grow darker.

Ziva was brewing tea and the others were drinking coffee in the living room when the first howl sounded in the distance. They'd heard howls now and again overnight, so it wasn't startling at first… not until more and more voices joined it, until the entire town seemed involved. It was more cacophony than chorus, and the rage behind the howls was palpable.

The team remained quiet while the howls continued, finally reaching a crescendo and then suddenly falling silent.

Tony sat very still, staring into his coffee.

"You look pale, Tony," Ziva commented.

Tony glanced up and gave her a wry smile. "Kinda because of me the entire town is hunting him right now."

Gibbs shook his head and laid his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Daniel made his own choices. For all we know, the pack would have figured it out themselves."

"He'd have more of a chance if I hadn't used silver on him."

"If you had not, we would likely be mourning your death," Ziva said quietly.

Tim nodded in agreement. "They're right, Tony. Daniel wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't killed Patryk, and you're too important to us to lose. None of us blame you, and from what I saw neither does anyone else."

Tony nodded slowly. "I know he's ultimately responsible for his own actions… but still."

Gibbs looked at his watch. "He's had a little over ten hours to get far enough away or to hide. I'm sure he knows how to cover his scent."

Tony raised his head and met Gibbs' eyes. He nodded again, huffing out a sigh. "Yeah. Out of our hands anyway." He looked over at his teammates, giving them a genuine smile. "Thanks, guys." He finished off his coffee and stood. "Think I'll turn in early." He went into the kitchen; they heard the water run briefly, and then with a little wave he was jogging up the stairs.

Gibbs watched him go; Ziva and Tim watched him watching.

"Do you need to go to him?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs was clearly uncertain. "I'll give him some time," he said finally.

Ziva nodded. "Chess?" she asked, gesturing to the set on the coffee table.

After beating Ziva two out of three games, and the same with Tim, Gibbs decided to join Tony. He reminded the others to be ready to go by quarter of nine the next morning, then headed for the master bedroom. He opened the door slowly, moving as quietly as he could into the dark room.

"Hey, Jethro."

"Tone. How ya doin'?"

"Been better. Been worse."

Gibbs grunted in reply, heading into the bathroom for several minutes before emerging, stripping down to his boxers, and joining Tony in bed. Tony turned over and put an arm around Gibbs, resting his head on the older man's chest.

Gibbs ran his fingers gently through Tony's hair. "What's really bothering you about this, Tony?" He felt more than saw Tony raise his head to look at him. Gibbs gripped the back of Tony's neck and shook him lightly. "You've killed criminals plenty of times, always justified, and it's never gotten to you like this."

Tony sighed and laid his head back down. "You're right, as usual. It's not the silver, not that I had to fight him."

Gibbs moved his hand away from Tony's neck and ran his fingers through his hair again, waiting.

"He led this pack for twenty years. These are his friends, his family, and they're hunting him down as if he's nothing more than food. Hell, not even that… if they catch him, they'll tear him to pieces and probably leave those to rot. I just… I keep imagining what that feels like, being hunted by people you know and used to trust. He knows that's what they'll do, that they're coming after him. I've been putting myself in his place… if I were on the run from you and Ziva and Tim… Abby…"

Gibbs grimaced, making a mental note to give himself a head slap for leaving Tony alone with his thoughts for too long. He shifted down in the bed until he could get both his arms around his partner. "I'm sorry, Tony."

Tony reached up and tapped him on the head. "Rule six, Jethro."

"No, I mean it. Shouldn't have left you alone."

"Nah, it's alright. I wanted the space. Wasn't ready to talk it through yet. You actually had good timing." It was his turn to run his fingers through Gibbs' hair. "How can I get you to let this grow out a little?"

Gibbs snorted, but didn't say anything.

"What were you doing down there anyway?"

"Chess. Beat Ziva two out of three, same with Tim, although he almost got me the last game."

"Good for him."

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Jethro?"

"Yeah?"

"How come we're staying for this party thing? We don't usually stick around for the aftermath."

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "Feels more like a diplomatic mission in some ways than a simple case. Seemed like the right thing to do."

Tony considered that. "Okay… I'll buy that. There's more though, isn't there?"

Gibbs sighed. "Feel somewhat responsible for what happened to Patryk."

Tony's head came up. "Why?"

Gibbs didn't answer, so Tony thought it through. "They were in your house. You feel like you should have picked up on something... a problem between them, Daniel being a psycho."

"Something like that, yeah."

"Gotcha." Tony thought some more. "If the others ask, want me to go with the diplomacy angle?"

"Yeah."

Tony smiled. "On your six, Jethro." He shifted a bit, getting more comfortable. "I'm exhausted. Mind if we just sleep?"

"Of course not, Tony."

"Guess I was right after all... you're not getting lucky tonight."

Gibbs laughed softly. "Already have, Tony."

"Excuse me? Was 'chess' a euphemism or something?"

Gibbs tapped him on the head. "You and me, we're both here right now. Counting that as pretty lucky."

Tony pressed a kiss to Gibbs' chest. "Ya know, you're pretty smart, Jethro."

Gibbs ruffled Tony's hair. "Night, Tone."

The next morning found the team walking toward the field where the party was to be held. Tony was a little jumpy, not knowing what to expect. Gibbs had simply told them all to keep their eyes open but to try to relax and enjoy themselves. He'd warned them not to ask about the outcome of the hunt, since they didn't know the protocol involved, and had told McGee to stick to non-alcoholic drinks.

They could hear music as they approached: drums and flutes. When they reached the field, they saw a huge crowd of people, all colorfully dressed, with long tables containing food and drink, and something they hadn't seen at all during their stay: children. Kids were running around, some with toys, most without, pouncing on each other, wrestling, shimmering and popping in and out of wolf form.

Martin jogged over to them. "Good morning! Welcome! We have a space set aside for you, a place of honor." He noticed them watching the children. "Young ones don't control the shift very well," he explained. "Everyone else will stay in human form; it's easier to carry drinks and talk that way." He grinned at them all and led them across the field to some large trees, where large cushions had been set out.

Erik was there, along with Arina, Anton, and few other people the team recognized. Erik greeted them enthusiastically; Arina smiled warmly and introduced them all to Anton, naming him Erik's new second. They took seats on the cushions, along with the three werewolves. Erik leaned over, speaking to Gibbs. "You guys have excellent timing. The formal ceremony is about to start."

The drums and flute fell silent. The crowd drew back, leaving a large clearing in front of the trees. Aleksandra stood in the middle, wearing a colorful silk robe over the usual jeans and shirt. Images of all sorts of different animals were embroidered on the robe.

Aleksandra gestured, and the crowd sank down onto the grass. Kids pushed their way to the front, watching her intently. She raised her arms, turning slowly as she spoke so that all could hear her. "We give thanks this day for a successful hunt." Tony winced at that; Gibbs reached out and took his hand. "We give thanks for a new leader and a new path forward." She faced Erik, holding out a hand to him. He rose, walking over to her and taking her hand. She raised their joined hands high into the air, and the crowd roared approval. She held out another hand; Arina rose, blushing, and joined them. "We give thanks for a new pairing, bringing new blood to the pack!" Another roar as those hands went up into the air.

"New blood?" Ziva asked.

"Maybe they mean new gene combinations," McGee speculated. "Doesn't seem as though either Erik or Arina have kids."

Aleksandra lowered her hands, letting go of Erik and Arina, who returned to their seats. "We give thanks this day to one who selflessly responded to challenge, proving our betrayal, and freeing us from dishonor." The pack fell silent as Aleksandra turned and held a hand out to Tony.

Tony cleared his throat, looking at Gibbs with wide eyes. Gibbs grinned at him. "Go on," he said. "All those awards you accepted for me? Time you got your own." Tony shot him a look, then got to his feet, joining Aleksandra. He searched her face, but found so sign of animosity. She looked tired and sad, but she smiled at him as she took his hand.

Turning back to the crowd, she spoke again. "This is Tony. I name him Wolf-Friend." She raised their joined hands into the air, and the pack roared approval once more.

Aleksandra released Tony's hand and stepped back as an older couple approached. "These are Patryk's parents," she whispered to Tony as she moved away. "Sofia and Mihail."

Tony felt a moment of panic, not sure what to do or say. Mihail reached out and shook his hand, smiling. "Thank you," he said. "Because of you, our son's spirit can find peace beyond this world." Tony simply bowed his head, not able to think of anything he could say that wouldn't sound trite.

As soon as Mihail released his hand, Sofia moved in, hugging him. Tony automatically returned the hug, surprised at her strength. Sofia released him, handing something to Aleksandra, who had moved forward.

Aleksandra held up what looked like a ring on a chain. "With this token, Tony is known as Wolf-Friend and welcomed to all packs," she announced. She faced Tony, who lowered his head as she put the chain around his neck and fastened it. "It has been many centuries since we have named someone Wolf-Friend," she continued. "May this day foreshadow greater understanding between our people and humankind."

She stepped back and the music started up again. Tony was immediately mobbed by children who wanted him to play and had a million questions. People moved toward the food, or began dancing. The sounds of guitars and a piano joined the drums and flute.

Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee stayed where they were, talking with Erik and Arina. Ziva congratulated Arina, who smiled and thanked her. McGee congratulated her as well; she pulled him into a hug. "I must thank you for the opportunity. Being your liaison helped me move up in rank."

Erik grinned at them both. "I'd have asked her to be my mate anyway," he said. "Her status just makes things easier on both of us."

Anton was watching the crowd. "Excuse me," he said, a smile on his face, as he left the group. He returned a few minutes later, fending off a few of the more energetic pups as he brought Tony back to the team. Tony sat down heavily, breathing hard. His clothes were dirty, his hair mussed, and there was a tear in one of his sleeves.

"What happened to you?" Ziva exclaimed, as Erik, Arina, and Anton looked on in amusement.

Tony glared at her as he brushed ineffectively at the dirt. "I'm never having kids," he muttered. "Or a dog," he added under his breath.

Gibbs grinned at him, while Erik leaned forward and apologized. "Our children can play rough. They're excited about a Wolf-Friend; they have only heard legends."

Tony grinned. "I'm a legend," he bragged to his teammates. Gibbs rolled his eyes and gave him a light head slap. Ziva and McGee simply shook their heads at him.

"What's on the chain?" McGee asked.

Tony stopped brushing himself off and picked up the pendant, holding it out so they could see it. It was a small ring made of crystal, with symbols carved on its surface. Braided grey hair was encased in the crystal.

Arina reached out to touch it. "Wolf hair," she said. "Patryk's. It is meant to bring you luck. The symbols tell all werewolves and werewolf allies that you are one of us." She sat back in the circle of Erik's arms. "Mihail and Sofia are jewelers. They designed and made the token after you fought Daniel."

Tony looked closely at the ring. "Thank you," he said. "I'm honored."

Erik grinned at him. "Go eat, all of you! Mingle if you wish. The dancing will start soon."

Ziva looked at the crowd, many of whom were dancing haphazardly to the music. "What do you call that?"

Anton smiled at her. "Formal dancing is different. Aleksandra and others will tell our story in dance."

The team got up, heading for the tables of food. Tony hung back, looking at Erik. "Last night…"

Erik nodded. "We found him, perhaps a little more than ten miles off." His eyes met Tony's. "It was a clean kill," he assured him. "Sofia tore out his throat before the pack descended on him. He died as well as a betrayer can hope to do."

Anton nodded. "We scattered and buried the remains. His blood and body feed the plants, which feed our prey. His spirit is gone."

Tony's eyes widened. "He's not going to haunt me, is he?"

The werewolves seemed surprised by the question. Eventually Erik shook his head. "I don't think so. A betrayer's spirit can't rest in this dimension. He must seek forgiveness from his ancestors in the realms beyond. He would have no reason to stay."

Tony wasn't convinced. "Revenge would be a pretty good reason."

Arina laid her hand on his arm. "He knows he was wrong. You are not the reason for his death; the pack declared him outcast. You have nothing to fear."

"So, werewolves don't hang around and become ghosts?"

Arina looked at the others, then shook her head. "It is very rare. Patryk might have, given how he died, but we had no contact from him, so we assumed he moved on. Why stay when there are other realms to explore?"

Tony took a deep breath. "I guess I shouldn't expect human motivations, huh?"

They all shook their heads. "Daniel has moved on. He'd have no peace here. Blaming you wouldn't help him."

Tony thanked them and went to catch up with the others. "I'd feel better about that if I weren't supposedly a ghost magnet," he muttered to himself.

A while later they were all seated under the trees again, watching as werewolves in both human and wolf form went through an intricate performance. Arina narrated for them, explaining how the dancers depicted the werewolves' arrival from another dimension, establishing towns, hunts, and even battles between werewolf factions as different groups split away from each other. Watching the dance was fascinating; Aleksandra and the others danced beautifully, but the ones in wolf form moved with a special grace none of the humans would have expected in such a deadly predator. The dance ended with a stylized version of the previous night's hunt and included a ceremonial presentation of a wolf's head to Patryk's parents. Arina promised them it wasn't actually Daniel's head.

The performance ended and the werewolves, all back in human form, joined in formal line dances with intricate steps. Erik asked Arina to dance, but everyone stopped to watch as Aleksandra, no longer wearing the silk robe over her clothes, went to Gibbs and very formally asked him to dance with her. Tony thought his partner covered his surprise and reluctance very well, taking Aleksandra's hand and walking with her onto the field. The werewolves were clearly pleased to see the visiting pack leader out there with them, and Aleksandra was smiling.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee all watched avidly as Aleksandra began the intricate steps, clearly demonstrating them to Gibbs and then inviting him to join her. Tony's jaw dropped as Gibbs performed the steps nearly flawlessly. The werewolves cheered him on, then began dancing again themselves.

Anton approached Ziva, who eagerly joined him. A shy young woman asked McGee to dance with her, and Sofia approached Tony, who had a hard time following the dance and trying to watch Gibbs at the same time. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves; Aleksandra and Sofia eventually executed moves that had them switching partners, leaving Gibbs and Tony facing each other on the grass.

"Bonded pairs should dance!" Anton called out. Gibbs shrugged and held his hand out to Tony, who hesitated only a moment before grinning and joining him. They danced together to the cheers of the werewolves, managing to follow the steps of the dance well enough to avoid disrupting the entire line.

Finally, Gibbs and Tony broke away from the dancing, going back to their seats, breathing a little heavily.

"Wow, Jethro. I had no idea you could do that."

Gibbs grinned at him. "Four wives, Tony, of course I can dance."

Tony returned the smile and watched Ziva and McGee dancing together. A short time later, Erik and Arina joined them. "The party will last the rest of the day," Erik told them. "We'd love you to stay as long as you wish."

Gibbs thanked him. "We still need to find Petty Officer Haynes' killer," he said. "I'd like to get back to DC this afternoon."

Erik nodded. "I expected as much." He reached out to shake their hands. "You will always be welcome back here; we'd love you to visit. The more positive contact we can have with humans, the better." Arina nodded emphatically as she hugged each of them.

Tony signaled Ziva and McGee as soon as he could catch their eyes. They dropped out of the dance and joined them, also saying their goodbyes to the new pack leaders. Erik took a card out of his back pocket and handed it to Gibbs. "My cell and email," he said. Gibbs gave him one of his own cards, and promised to update him on the case.

They watched the dancing a little longer before finally leaving the field and heading back to the guest house and their cars. They loaded up their bags, then gathered around Gibbs. "Meet up back at the office," he told them. "We'll order dinner in, get more background on Haynes, and go from there." He hesitated a moment, then added, "Good job, everyone."

They headed for their respective cars. Ziva and McGee heard Tony just before he closed the car door, "So, Jethro, ever see Dances with Wolves? 1990, starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, and Graham Greene –"


	11. Chapter 11

Searching for a Killer

Gibbs and Tony emerged from the elevator and went to their desks. Tony tossed his pack on the floor and booted up his computer. "Digging into Haynes now, Boss."

Gibbs grunted in response, his eyes on his own monitor.

"Gibbs!" Abby came running over from the back hallway. She stopped in front of Gibbs' desk, looking around. "Where are Timmy and Ziva?"

Tony grinned and shook his head. "We all stopped for lunch just outside of DC. They're probably a good twenty minutes behind us. Gibbs drove."

Abby returned the smile, running over to give Tony a hug, seating herself in his lap. "Welcome back!" She pulled back, frowning at him. "I can't believe you guys kept me in the dark all this time! Ducky and Jimmy could only tell me so much."

Tony glanced between her and Gibbs. "And we can only tell you so much at work, Abs, you know that. You'll have to wait until later."

"But, Tony! You were gone for so long! I've been dying here!"

Gibbs looked up at them, only to have his attention caught by Director Vance as he came around the partition next to Ziva's desk. "Leon," he said quietly.

"Gibbs." Vance surveyed the area, eyebrows rising as he looked at Abby sitting in Tony's lap, then refocused on Gibbs. "Ms. Sciuto is right, Gibbs. You were out in the field for a long time. Anything to show for it?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Not as much as we'd like. Several leads seemed like they were going to pan out, but they fizzled."

"Negative data is still data!" Abby stated firmly.

"Thank you, Ms. Sciuto." Vance nodded to her. "Don't you have evidence to process for Agent Balboa?"

Abby jumped to her feet. "Right away, sir!" She snapped off a salute, pointed at Tony and said, "Later!" in a loud whisper, then headed for the elevator.

Vance watched her go, shaking his head, then turned back to Gibbs. "Send the receipts for the hotel into accounting asap."

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't have any. No charge."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Small town. We were the most exciting thing to happen there in a while. Mayor let us stay in a rental for free."

Vance smiled. "Now that's what I like to hear. If only federal agents got that kind of respect everywhere."

Gibbs grinned. "DiNozzo was very popular. Got all kinds of respect."

Vance turned to look at Tony. "I don't want to know," he said. "I'm back from another long day of meetings on the Hill. Let me know if anything does pan out." He nodded to Gibbs, raised an eyebrow at Tony, and left.

Tony frowned at Gibbs. "Thanks loads, Boss."

"All part of the cover, Tony."

Tony shook his head, but smiled. "I was pretty popular at the end there," he said happily.

Gibbs smiled at him, then waved a hand at Tony's computer. "Got Haynes' address?"

Tony hit a few more keys. "Yup. Apartment building on Jefferson Street in Portsmouth." He did a bit more typing. "She had a roommate… Jessica Porter, not Navy."

Gibbs tapped his fingers on his desk. Tony grimaced. "Long drive, Boss. And we only just got back."

Gibbs looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded. "Got contact info for the roommate?"

Tony checked the screen. "Yup."

"Call her."

Tony sighed in relief, picking up his desk phone. Gibbs got up. "Goin' to Autopsy," he said. Tony gave him a little wave. "Can I speak with Jessica Porter, please? This is Special Agent Antony DiNozzo, NCIS…"

Gibbs heard the ding of the elevator and turned to see McGee and Ziva walking in. "McGee! Background on Karen Haynes. Talk to her CO. DiNozzo's on with the roommate now." He didn't wait for McGee to acknowledge him.

A few minutes later, Gibbs walked in to Autopsy. Palmer was nowhere to be seen; Ducky sat at his desk, swiveling his chair to greet his visitor. "Jethro! I'm so pleased you made it back in one piece."

Gibbs grinned. "I wasn't the one who got challenged by a werewolf, Duck."

"No! Anthony?"

"Got it in one."

"He must be alright, or I would have heard from you before this."

"Not a scratch on him. Pretty much single-handedly changed the power structure in the pack, and was named a Wolf-Friend as a result. Pretty big deal."

"Good for him. Although how that boy manages to get into so many scrapes is beyond me."

"Not exactly a boy, Duck. Got anything on Petty Officer Haynes?"

"Besides what I told you already? No, nothing new. It was definitely methanol poisoning. Other than that, she was a very healthy young woman."

They talked for a few more minutes, then Gibbs left to get coffee and Caf-Pow. He was back with the team in just under an hour.

"What've we got?"

The three agents jumped to their feet and lined up in front of the plasma. Ziva started them off. "Petty Officer Karen Haynes, twenty-five years old, in her third year with the Navy. Graduated from the University of California in San Diego with a BS in Environmental Chemistry. No living family on record." She gave Gibbs a significant look.

McGee took over. "She worked in the labs on the naval base at Norfolk. Her CO is Lieutenant Commander Philip Bryce; he said she was a hard worker, innovative, very sharp. Spotless record. He put me in touch with members of her unit. No one could think of anyone who had a problem with her. They described her as quirky, fun, spirited, energetic… said her hobbies included hiking and hunting. They said she rarely drank alcohol and wouldn't touch drugs." He passed the clicker off to Tony, who used it with a flourish to put a photo of a driver's license up on the screen.

"The roommate: Jessica Porter, also twenty-five, moved from San Diego to Portsmouth with Petty Officer Haynes. Also graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in Communication. Works for a little advertising firm in Newport News. Navy chaplain informed her of Haynes' death; she sounded pretty broken up about it. Said the last time she saw Haynes was the day she died. Haynes came home the day before at her usual time, then went out with Navy friends, stayed out later than usual. Ms. Porter said she was asleep by the time Haynes got home that night. Saw her in the morning as she was leaving, said she looked tired but seemed fine. Knew she was going on leave, so didn't expect to see her again until next week."

Gibbs stared thoughtfully at the screen. "DiNozzo, dig into the roommate. See if there are any other connections from San Diego. McGee, check for disciplinary issues in her unit. Ziva, check for any problems in her neighborhood."

They all worked quietly for a while. McGee was the first to report back. "There's a Lieutenant Francis Baker who worked with Petty Officer Haynes with a drunk and disorderly. And a Seaman John Pritson who was detained eight months ago for theft. He apparently stole some materials meant for the lab; Petty Officer Haynes caught and reported him. He spent six months in the brig before his discharge." McGee put the former Seaman's ID up on the screen.

Gibbs got up to take a closer look. Ziva joined him. "I could not find anything that seems relevant in Karen Haynes' neighborhood, Gibbs. It is a very quiet area, near an elementary school."

Gibbs looked over at Tony. "Anything, DiNozzo?"

"Roommate's got one misdemeanor for reckless driving, and was picked up for possession, but the charges were dropped."

Gibbs looked back at Pritson's picture. "McGee, find more on Pritson. Verify his current address, check out where he's been since his discharge."

"Think he's our guy, Boss?"

"Most likely out of what we've got so far," Gibbs replied as he went back to his desk.

More cyber-investigating followed. McGee found a last-known address that no longer applied; Pritson had moved shortly after his discharge. Tony tried to get more information about Jessica Porter's possession charge, but hit a dead end. Ziva tried to follow up as well, but got nowhere.

Abby came through the bullpen a little before 7 pm. "I have waited long enough!" she exclaimed. "Dinner? I need to know what happened with the –" she hesitated, looked around, and lowered her voice, "you-know-whats."

Everyone looked at Gibbs, who looked at his watch. "Go on, get outta here. Back at eight tomorrow."

McGee and Ziva grabbed their gear and looked at Tony, who looked at Gibbs. Seeing that his boss had no intention of leaving, Tony waved them all out. "You guys go ahead. Just be sure to explain about how I'm a legend now!" He smirked at McGee, who rolled his eyes as he walked past Tony's desk.

The two men worked quietly. Tony tried to track down the people Karen Haynes was out with the night before she died. Gibbs got his mind off the case for a while, completing some of his overdue paperwork. The floor gradually emptied out, until he and Tony were the last ones left.

Gibbs sat back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at the screen where John Pritson's ID still showed. As he contemplated it, the screen suddenly flickered, and Jessica Porter's picture appeared. Gibbs' brow furrowed as he looked at McGee's computer. "Tony."

"Yeah, Boss?"

"You change the picture on the screen?"

"No… why would I do that?"

"Dunno. It changed."

Tony looked at Gibbs doubtfully. "All by itself?"

"I certainly didn't do it."

Tony grinned at him. "No, you didn't." He got up, grabbing the remote off the file cabinet. He hit the right buttons to link it to his computer, and the picture changed back to Pritson's ID. "Still having trouble tracking him down, Boss." Tony hit another button. "Here's his last known… but the landlord hasn't seen him since he moved out. Didn't leave a forwarding address."

As Tony turned to look at Gibbs, the picture flickered and changed to Jessica Porter's driver's license.

Gibbs pointed at the plasma. Tony turned to look, and frowned. "That's weird." He hit the remote, switching it back to Pritson. It changed almost immediately to Jessica Porter.

Tony's eyes narrowed. He switched it to Pritson and quickly put the remote back on the cabinet. Both men stared at the plasma. Pritson's picture stared back, until once again the screen flickered and Jessica Porter was there.

"Boss…"

"This thing ever done that before?"

Tony shook his head emphatically. "No, never. Never ever." He got the remote, pointed it at the screen, and hit some buttons. Nothing happened. He went to his computer, closed the file with Jessica Porter's info, and looked back at the plasma. Her picture was still up there.

"Maybe it's hooked into McGoo's computer somehow?" Tony went to McGee's desk, but the computer wasn't even on.

"Tony…"

Tony turned around to look at Gibbs, who was staring at the file cabinet next to the plasma. Tony went to Gibbs' side and looked.

There was a shape next to the cabinet. It was indistinct at first, but slowly took on a recognizable form.

Tony swallowed nervously. "Um… I think maybe Erik and the rest of 'em were wrong when they said werewolf spirits don't stick around."

Karen Haynes, colorless and transparent, stood next to the plasma, looking at them. Her eyes met each of theirs, then her head turned to look at the plasma and she pointed at Jessica Porter's picture.

Gibbs straightened his shoulders and stepped closer to the ghost. "You tellin' us she poisoned you?"

The ghost looked at him and nodded once, slowly. She then looked at Tony, pointing at his chest. His hand went up reflexively, then he looked down, reaching past his shirt to pull the crystal ring on its chain out into the open.

Suddenly Karen stood right in front of him. Tony suppressed his surprised yelp. Her fingers reached out to touch the ring; they brushed his, but all he felt was a chill. The ghost looked at the ring, then reached up to touch Tony's face. He could clearly see her lips shape the words 'help me' – and then she vanished.


	12. Chapter 12

Inside Information

Tony raised his hand to his face, gingerly touching it where Karen Haynes' fingers had brushed his skin. It felt cold. His looked at Gibbs, who was staring back at him, wide-eyed.

"What the hell was that?" Tony whispered. His hand dropped to his side. "And what do we do now?"

Gibbs turned to look at the plasma and the picture of Jessica Porter. "Shut it off," he demanded.

Tony stared at him, then blinked, realizing the remote was still in his hand. He pointed it at the screen and hit the button; the plasma went dark.

Both men relaxed slightly; Tony let out a sign of relief.

"Grab your gear." Gibbs moved purposefully to his desk, getting his badge and gun. Tony headed for his own desk, giving the plasma and the file cabinet a wide berth by going around the far side and almost tripping over his pack. Moments later he was with Gibbs, waiting for the elevator.

"We get to the house, call Erik," Gibbs said. "I want everything we can get on werewolf ghosts before we go any further." There was a ding as the elevator arrived and the doors slid open.

"Betcha never thought you'd say that, Boss."

"Nope."

The drive back to the house was silent, both men running what had just happened through their heads. Once they were home, Gibbs fished Erik's card out of his wallet and handed it to Tony, who looked at him in surprise. Gibbs shrugged. "You're the Wolf-Friend."

Tony smiled slightly and pulled out his cell. Moments later they were sitting on the couch, Tony's cell on the coffee table, listening to the sound of ringing over the speaker.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, Erik, it's Tony DiNozzo. Gibbs is here too."

" _Wolf-Friend! Missed a hell of a party. Most of us are too tired to hunt tonight. Only reason I'm picking up at this hour."_

"Yeah, sorry about that. Listen, we wouldn't be bugging you if we didn't think it was important… we just had a visit from Karen Haynes' ghost."

" _Say what now?"_

"You heard me. We were at the office, digging into her background and looking at possible suspects. We had one… a John Pritson. Don't suppose he's one of yours?"

" _Name's not familiar. Karen's ghost? Really?"_

"Yeah, really. She fingered her roommate, Jessica Porter, as her killer. Pointed to the token you gave me… guessing she thinks I should be helping her 'cause of my status with you guys. Don't suppose Jessica Porter is one of yours either?"

" _Hang on, let me ask Arina."_ They could hear the werewolves talking in the background, but couldn't quite make out the words. _"No, Arina definitely remembers Karen saying her roommate was human. She's gone to get Aleksandra… we should have the shaman in on this."_

"Thanks, man. Appreciate it."

" _No problem. I owe you, big."_

"You realize now I'm gonna be looking over my shoulder for Daniel."

" _Um, yeah, I guess. Really didn't think you'd have to worry about it. Sorry about that. Although frankly, Daniel wasn't the most patient guy in the world. If he were around, he'd probably have tried something before you left."_

"Not sure that you're filling me with confidence here." Tony looked around nervously; Gibbs reached out and rubbed his back.

" _Ah, they're coming in."_

"That was quick."

" _Werewolves, remember? We run fast. And now that you guys are gone, we don't have to bother with clothes."_

Neither man was sure what to say to that, so they simply waited until Aleksandra's voice sounded over the speakers.

" _Wolf-Friend? Agent Gibbs?"_

"Hi Aleksandra, Tony here. Gibbs is with me. Arina told you what happened?"

" _She told me of Karen… you tell me exactly what you experienced."_

Tony gave her the story, with Gibbs tossing in a few details. No one spoke for a moment after they finished, and then Aleksandra responded briskly. _"There are stories of such things. It is not usual… our spirits have better things to do than to linger here when the home dimension is calling. But you have seen how we respond to betrayal while living… I have no doubt that the same desire for justice is keeping Karen here. She likely followed you when you left us and has been waiting for the opportunity to share what she knows."_

"So, you think she really does know who gave her the methanol?"

" _There is no question. We would not act in such a manner based on a hunch."_

Tony leaned close to Gibbs. "Guess you'd make a bad werewolf, Boss," he whispered.

" _On the contrary,"_ Aleksandra said dryly, _"you would both make excellent additions to the pack. It is too bad we cannot simply bite you both and turn you into one of us, as your legends go."_

"Damn," Tony said, reaching up to rub his head where he'd just been smacked, "I forgot your hearing is so good."

" _Just a moment."_ The speaker went silent; Tony guessed Aleksandra had put her hand over Erik's phone. He looked at Gibbs, who looked back at him.

" _Wolf-Friend, Agent Gibbs,"_ Aleksandra's voice returned. _"Erik tells me you are worried that Daniel will come after you. That will not happen. He has left this plane and moved on."_

"Ah… hate to ask, but are you sure?"

" _We were bonded. If he were still here, I would know."_

"I see. Uh, sorry I doubted you."

" _I understand your concern. Karen's situation is different. She was betrayed. Daniel was the betrayer. There was nothing keeping him here. Once you have Karen's killer, she too will depart."_

"Thanks, Aleksandra. Anything else you think we should know?"

" _Only that you shouldn't expect Karen to act more than she already has. It takes a great deal of energy for a spirit to manifest in the way you describe. She will likely be watching and waiting, but that will be all. You may see her again if you are successful, but more likely she will simply leave once she knows there will be justice."_

Tony grimaced. "You do mean human justice, right? You don't expect us to drop her off in the woods somewhere for you to hunt?"

Aleksandra laughed. _"If Karen's killer were pack, of course that is what we would expect. But Arina tells me it is the human roommate, so human justice will suffice."_

"Thanks for your help."

" _You are Wolf-Friend. It is only right. Agent Gibbs?"_

"Aleksandra."

" _I know you are bonded to the Wolf-Friend, but should you ever wish to visit, I would happily dance with you again."_

Gibbs hesitated before answering her. "I, ah, thank you."

" _And if you were not bonded, I would consider taking you as a mate. You would bring good, new blood to us, and I think our offspring would be wolves."_ She laughed, a wicked sound with a hint of a growl. _"Something to think about in case you and our Wolf-Friend should ever tire of each other."_

"I'll keep that in mind." Gibbs reached for the cell, but then realized it wasn't his and he couldn't simply flip it shut. He handed it to Tony. "Hang that up, would ya?"

Tony grinned, hitting the screen, but not before they heard more voices raised in laughter. "Werewolves have an interesting sense of humor," he commented, observing the slight red tinge to Gibbs' ears and cheeks. "And here I thought McGee was the one who'd end up with the litter of puppies."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled.

Tony's grin grew wider. "Hey, listen to you! Sounds like Aleksandra had a nibble when I wasn't looking."

Gibbs glared at him, but was having a hard time repressing a smile.

Tony sat back, eyeing Gibbs thoughtfully. "She is a beautiful wolf, woman, whatever… I suppose if you really wanted a walk on the wild side – and I do mean wild – I might be okay with it. I am a Wolf-Friend, after all, and it's only friendly to share."

Gibbs stared at him, his mouth slightly open.

"Wow, Jethro, kidding! Seriously, you even think about it and I will head slap you SO hard…"

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "You're just jealous."

Tony smiled, baring teeth. "Yup." He dropped the smile and turned serious. "So, what's our next move? Not like we can just arrest her on the basis of the murder victim's ghost making her picture show up on the plasma. Pretty sure that won't be admissible in court."

"Ya think?" Gibbs sat back, thinking hard. "Who took Porter's statement?"

Tony concentrated, visualizing the file he'd gone through at the office. "Agent Tammy Reece, out of Norfolk. She went with the chaplain to speak with Porter. I've worked with her a few times; she's good. Observant, thorough." He watched Gibbs at the older man stared at the coffee table. "You wanna interview Porter again?"

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "Nah. Think we can rely on Reece's report." He turned to look at Tony, a small smile gracing his face. "Stakeout."

Tony's eyes widened. "Yes! Just please tell me I'm with you on this one."

"Of course you are. Ghost magnets, remember? Can't trust McGee or Ziva to have your six if they start flocking to you."

"Okay, that is not a mental image that makes me happy. But we could watch Hitchcock's The Birds tonight before we go to bed." He grinned at Gibbs' confused expression. "Flocks? C'mon, work with me here."

Gibbs simply sighed and went in search of coffee while Tony hunted for the DVD.


	13. Chapter 13

Stakeout

Tony and Gibbs had been at their desks for a while before McGee and Ziva stepped off the elevator the next morning. After the junior agents had stowed their belongings, Gibbs spoke up.

"I want everything on Jessica Porter, McGee."

"The roommate?" Ziva glanced at Tony for confirmation. "What of Pritson? He has motive."

Tony sat back in his chair, smiling brightly. "Don't know that she doesn't. We can continue to look for him, but we have inside information that Jessica Porter killed Karen Haynes."

McGee had seemed to be focused on his computer screen, but he quickly looked up. "Inside info? From where?"

Tony grin widened. "From the Great Beyond," he replied in a deep voice. He looked at Gibbs, who stared evenly back. Sighing, Tony waved Ziva and McGee closer. Exchanging confused glances, they left their desks and leaned over Tony's. He made a show of looking around before whispering loudly, "Karen Haynes' ghost was here last night. She told us."

Silence greeted that statement, until Ziva demanded, "How?"

"Kept making Porter's license show up on the screen," Gibbs said from directly behind Ziva, making them all jump a little. "Couldn't get it off of there."

"The fact that she materialized in front of the file cabinet – right where you're standing, McGoo – and confirmed it didn't hurt," Tony added thoughtfully.

McGee took two steps to his right, making Ziva move over as well. "I don't suppose she gave you actual evidence?"

Gibbs snorted. "Goin' for coffee." He headed for the elevator.

Tony shook his head. "Nope. Porter could have done it, but we're going to have to prove it."

McGee frowned. "We don't have enough for a warrant."

Ziva shook her head. "I do not think the judge will accept the word of a spirit."

"Neither do we," Tony sighed. "Stakeout."

McGee and Ziva returned to their desks. A few seconds later, McGee announced that he had a trace on Porter's cell phone and was hacking into her texts and emails. Ziva ran searches on Porter, while Tony continued the cyber-hunt for John Pritson.

By the time Gibbs returned, they had news for him. McGee popped a series of emails up on the plasma. "Jessica Porter received these emails from one Hotmail account… snakeeyes357. Each email lists a date, address, and time. She never responded to any of them. The latest one is three days before Karen Haynes died."

"I have something," Ziva announced from her desk. They all turned to look at her; she smiled triumphantly. "Jessica Porter just placed an advertisement for a new roommate."

Gibbs turned his head slightly to look at Tony. Tony shrugged and grinned. "Stakeout, undercover, what's the difference?"

Gibbs nodded, then looked at Ziva. "Go to Abby, have her make you ID. Then make the call."

Ziva dashed to the back elevator. Tony grinned at Gibbs. "Think she's excited?"

Gibbs grunted into his coffee, then turned to McGee. "Can you trace the email?"

McGee shook his head. "Looks like each email was sent from a different IP… various coffeehouses, a library. Snakeeyes357 is careful."

Tony sat up suddenly. "There was a small-time drug dealer who went by Snake Eyes when I was in Baltimore. Maybe it's the same guy." He picked up his desk phone and began making calls.

By mid-afternoon, Ziva had an appointment to meet up with Jessica Porter at her apartment, in her role as Sarah Peretz, martial arts instructor new to town. McGee had his cell set to send him an alert when and if Porter received an email from snakeeyes357. Tony's contacts in Baltimore had given him Snake Eyes the dealer's ID: Simon Taylor, 32, arrested multiple times for possession, worked as an informant before being arrested for dealing, spent a little over four years in prison before being paroled. Moved to Norfolk after his parole was up, currently working in a drugstore seven blocks from Porter's apartment.

Ziva left to make the drive to Portsmouth. Jessica had agreed to a trial run if they got along when they met and if Sarah was willing to chip in on the current month's rent, so she was heading home first to pack a bag. The rest of the team would head out in two cars, setting up in a motel not far from the apartment. The plan was to rotate watching the building, tailing Jessica, and providing Ziva with back-up; Tammy Reece from Norfolk would be meeting them to partner McGee.

Tony and Gibbs had first watch and were parked down the street when Ziva arrived, rang the bell, and was buzzed in to the building. She wasn't wearing a wire since it might be difficult to hide were she to stay in the apartment, and there was no reason to think she wouldn't be able to contact them if she needed to. She had no plans to accept any drinks; she was carrying a bottle of flavored water and Sarah was a health nut who didn't touch alcohol.

Tony was idly watching the building when Gibbs returned from a coffee run. He settled into the passenger seat, handing Tony a cup while sipping from his own.

"Thanks, Gibbs."

Gibbs reached over and patted Tony's thigh. Tony shot him a look and grinned. "Remember that guy who thought we were a couple, way back when Kate was with us? When we were looking for Pacci's killer?"

Gibbs glanced over at him, then focused on the building. "Uh huh."

"We wasted a lot of time, didn't we?"

Gibbs blinked and turned to face Tony. "You think we were ready, back then?"

Tony thought about it. "Guess not."

"Know I wasn't."

They were quiet for a while, until Gibbs spoke up again, surprising Tony. "Thinking if we'd gotten together then, it wouldn't have lasted. Been a fling, gettin' our rocks off, be done with it. Now, we're in it for the long haul."

Tony smiled and reached over to grasp and squeeze Gibbs' hand. "Yeah, we are."

His cell buzzed; he let go of Gibbs' hand to grab it and check the screen. "Text from Ziva. She's in. They're going out to dinner at the Italian place down the road. Says Jessica leaves for work at 8 tomorrow morning; she'll search the apartment then."

Gibbs nodded. "We'll stay here until they get back, then pack it in if Porter's not going back out."

They watched Ziva and Jessica come out of the building, talking and laughing. Jessica's body language was relaxed; Tony was sure she didn't suspect anything. They waited in the car for almost two hours before the women returned. Not long after they went upstairs, another text from Ziva announced that Jessica was turning in for the night.

Gibbs rubbed the backs of his fingers against his jawline. "We'll give it a couple of hours, then go. Don't really think she'll head out with a new roommate in the place."

Tony agreed, and since there was no sign of Jessica stirring two hours later, they headed back to the motel.

The next morning saw Tony sleeping in while Tammy and McGee tailed Jessica to work. Gibbs was up and reading the morning paper when Tony awoke and checked his phone. He whistled low, causing Gibbs to look up. "Got something?"

Tony nodded, pushing the sheets away as he got out of bed and walked over to the armchair where Gibbs sat. "Check this out." He held out the phone; Gibbs saw a picture of a small bottle labeled 'Methanol,' complete with skull-and-crossbones warning label. Tony took the phone back and read the accompanying text. "Found this under the kitchen sink, covered with old towels. Replaced it after taking pictures." Tony stretched and yawned, smiling as he noticed Gibbs watching him. "What now? Ducky said methanol is methanol, so we can't prove she was poisoned from that bottle."

"We wait, follow up on the emails. If she is dealing, we catch her in the act, she'll likely fold in interrogation."

Tony shook his head. "After becoming a Wolf-Friend, this is almost too routine."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "Wanna arrange for some more deaths, make it more exciting?"

Tony resisted the urge to head slap his partner. "You know I don't. Karen Haynes deserves justice. It's just, you know, this is so _normal_."

Gibbs grinned at him. "I asked the manager last night if anyone ever died here."

Tony's eyes widened. "Ghosts?"

Gibbs looked at him seriously for a moment, then smiled again. "Nah. No record of anyone ever dying in this building."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Point taken. You eaten yet?"

"Nope. There's a diner around the corner."

Nothing much changed over the next two days. Gibbs received a phone call from Vance, asking why they were staking out the roommate and if they had no other suspects. Gibbs referred to a tip and the fact that they had no other leads; Abby had located John Pritson the evening they left for Norfolk. She could confirm he'd been in Colorado for the past four months.

Tony and Gibbs were back in the car outside the apartment building when Gibbs got a call from McGee. He put it on speaker. "Yeah, Gibbs."

" _Hey, Boss… Jessica Porter just received an email from snakeeyes357."_

Gibbs waited for a few seconds before rolling his eyes. "And what did it say, McGee?" Tony held back his laughter.

" _Lists an address in Norfolk, 9 pm two days from now."_

"Good. We'll continue rotation and then be at the meet." Gibbs hung up before McGee could reply.

Tony rubbed his hands together. "We may wrap this one up pretty quickly."

Gibbs nodded once. "Update Ziva, tell her to stay out of it. Want to maintain her cover if for any reason we don't get Porter."

Two nights later, McGee sat on a bench at a bus stop, around the corner from the address in Jessica's email, wearing earbuds and flipping through a magazine lit by a streetlamp in the fading light. Tony was leaning on a wall diagonally across from the building, pretending to be in an animated conversation with his date who had gotten lost driving to meet him. Gibbs was sitting in the car, camera at the ready.

A car pulled into a parking spot down the block; Jessica Porter got out and walked to the building they were watching. A man rounded the corner and passed in front of Tony before crossing the street; Tony casually reached up and rubbed at his face as he tried to give directions to his fictional date, breaking off to speak quietly into his mike, "Simon Taylor's headed her way."

McGee stretched, put down the magazine, and got to his feet, reaching in to his jacket as he moved to the corner of the street. Tony ended his fictional call and watched as Jessica and Simon walked toward each other. He knew Gibbs was taking a succession of pictures, and he was sure his partner caught the moment when Simon passed a brown paper bag to Jessica, who slipped it into the large purse she was carrying.

Tony moved to follow Simon while McGee waited for Jessica to round the corner. As soon as she did, he held up his badge and gun. She froze, and it was only seconds before he had her cuffed and was opening the paper bag to find a pile of packets of white powder. Tony, of course, ended up having to chase Simon Taylor for two blocks before tackling him to the ground.

They drove the suspects to Norfolk, intending to interrogate them there. Tony called Ziva, alerting her to their success and advising her to lay low until they got a confession. He also called Erik, leaving him a message that Karen's killer was in custody.


	14. Chapter 14

Interrogation

The Norfolk office didn't have nearly the room or the equipment available at the Navy Yard, but the team made do. After his arrest, Simon Taylor had spoken only long enough to demand a lawyer, so they didn't need an interrogation room for him. They'd contacted the public defender's office and left him in lockup, charging him with possession, distribution, and a host of other related offenses. McGee and Tammy Reece had gotten a warrant and gone to search Taylor's apartment and interview his boss and fellow employees at the drugstore where he worked.

Tony and Gibbs stood in the small observation room, watching Jessica Porter fidget in Interrogation. Her fingers never stopped moving, and she continually glanced from the door to the mirror to the video camera and back. Her voice quavered when the door opened and a young agent politely asked her if she wanted some water.

With no technician available to handle the equipment, Tony turned on the video recorder, then went to the printer in the corner of the room, picking up the photos of Karen Haynes' body lying in the street in Dayton. He added them to a stack of photos from Gibbs' camera, clearly showing the transfer of drugs from Simon Taylor to Jessica's outstretched hand. He flipped through them before putting them in a folder that held the details of the Haynes case, together with Jessica's previous arrest report and Simon's rap sheet.

"Shouldn't take long," he commented.

Gibbs reached over and grabbed the file. "Got it," he said as he headed for the door.

"Uh, Boss?"

Gibbs stopped and looked impatiently back at Tony.

"No offense, but are you sure you're the best option here?"

Gibbs slowly turned to face him, raising his eyebrows slightly while still managing to glare.

Tony sighed and managed not to roll his eyes. "Seriously, Jethro. You go in there and glare at her, she's probably going to have hysterics. She'll cry, clam up, and we'll be handing this over to a prosecutor without any real connection to Haynes' death. We've got her on the drugs, but we need a confession to tie her to the murder. No way we're going to find proof her methanol killed Haynes, much less that Porter did it herself."

Gibbs' lips twitched. "So, you're saying you're the man for the job, Tony?"

Tony grinned at him. "Rule five, Jethro. I know you can charm the ladies when you want to, but somehow I think she'll respond a bit better to someone closer to her own generation."

Gibbs' only change of expression was a slight widening of his eyes. He inclined his head, and held the folder out for Tony. Tony cleared his throat, made a show of stretching and cracking his neck, then strode closer to his partner, taking the file with a serious expression. He cringed in anticipation as he moved to open the door, and was rewarded with a stinging slap to the back of his head. "Thank you, Boss!" he exclaimed, grinning again as the door shut behind him and he took the few steps to the interrogation room.

Jessica Porter jumped nervously as Tony opened the door, turning to close it behind him before facing her, smiling, and stepping forward to introduce himself. He held out his hand; she hesitantly extended hers and he pressed it gently before taking the seat opposite her, shifting the chair a bit to one side to give Gibbs an unobstructed view of her face.

"Um, Agent Di- DiNozzo?"

He looked up from the file he'd opened and smiled at her. "Please, call me Tony."

She blinked, then straightened up, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder. Tony let his eyes linger on her movement; she smiled, settling into her chair, her expression relaxing. "Tony. Thank you. I… I don't know what you must be thinking of me right now."

Tony sat back, his smile turning slightly wicked. "I'm thinking I shouldn't say what I'm thinking. A guy could get in trouble."

Jessica smiled. "It's too bad we didn't meet under better circumstances." She leaned forward, looking at him earnestly, and Tony began to have some suspicions about why the charges were dropped after her first arrest.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing." His gaze held hers for a moment before he sighed regretfully and shifted his attention to the file folder. "Unfortunately," he lowered his voice, "my boss is probably watching us right now."

Jessica's eyes darted up to look at the mirror, then returned to Tony. "Is your boss as cute as you? Bet we could all have a good time."

Tony's eyes widened. "He's former military. Stickler for the rules."

She pursed her lips in disappointment. "Well, then I guess it's just you and me."

Tony smiled at her. "Yes. Yes, it is." He looked down at the papers on the table, picking up the picture of Simon handing off the paper bag. "So… " He held out the picture to her. She took it, looking at it for a long moment, catching her lower lip between her teeth. She glanced up at him, but stayed silent.

"Simon Taylor is refusing to cooperate," Tony said in a mournful tone.

"Is that his name?"

"You didn't know?"

She shook her head. "I… I needed more money than I was getting at my job. I've always wanted to travel, you know – so many romantic places in the world. It was going to take forever to get anywhere on my salary. A, um, a friend put me in touch with… Simon?... told me I could make easy money with little risk."

"The drugs," Tony prompted.

She gave a little laugh. "Yes. I didn't sell them myself, of course. I handed them off to others who did the actual selling." She looked carefully at Tony, who made sure to glance at her chest – he was sure more of those buttons had been fastened earlier – before sitting forward to rest his arms on the table.

"You'd get an email from snakeeyes357 and then… what?"

"I'd meet him to pick up the… drugs, and then I'd wait two days before making calls from work to arrange to drop them off."

"Simon was being careful."

"Yes, I guess he was." Jessica widened her eyes, letting them fill with tears. "You said he's refusing to cooperate?"

Tony nodded, holding her gaze.

"So… if _I_ cooperate…"

"I'm sure we can work something out."

She smiled brilliantly. "What do you want to know?"

A few minutes later, he had a list of phone numbers, names, physical descriptions, and meeting places. "Thank you, Jessica. You've been a big help. I'm going to look really good for my boss."

Jessica smiled, then turned serious. "I'm happy to help, Tony. This has been a truly frightening experience, and I promise you I've learned my lesson."

Tony grinned at her. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that." He gathered up all the papers, shuffling them and putting them back into the folder, which he closed.

Jessica leaned forward, resting her hand on his arm. "I'd love to get to know you better, you know, outside of… work."

"Mmm, that sounds nice." He leaned in close, whispering in her ear, "I almost forgot something."

Her pupils dilated as she gazed at him. "What?"

Staying close and keeping his eyes on her, he pulled a picture of Karen Haynes lying dead in the street out of the folder and laid it on the table in front of her. "This." He sat back.

She blinked, confused, then lowered her gaze to the table. She gasped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth. "Karen!"

"She died confused and in pain, lying in the street. Methanol poisoning."

Jessica lowered her shaking hand to the picture. "Methanol? They never said…"

"So how'd you do it?"

Jessica sat back suddenly. "What?"

"Give her the methanol. How did you do it? Why?"

"I… what? Why would you –"

"We can't find anyone with a motive, Jessica," Tony said softly. "You have a bottle of methanol in your apartment, under the kitchen sink. It's been opened, and there's some missing."

Jessica shook her head, real tears appearing in her eyes, one sliding out and down her face.

"Here's what I think… I think Karen found out about the drugs. I think you were desperate to stop her from reporting you. You told the police she'd been out drinking the night before she died; I think you gave her the methanol when she got home – what's one more little drink? You knew she was leaving town the next day, and you knew it would take time for the methanol to kill her."

Jessica was shaking her head. "No, it wasn't – I didn't –"

"Didn't what? Didn't think we'd trace it back to you?"

"How did – I mean, you couldn't…"

"Could and did." Tony looked at her, deadly serious. He lowered his voice, speaking softly again. "How did it happen, Jessica?"

Bewildered, she stared at him, more tears slipping down her face. "I…" She looked down at the picture again. "I was getting ready to go out, to deliver the drugs. I left the bag out on the kitchen counter when I went to my bedroom to get my keys. I thought she was in her room for the night. She came out, to get a snack or something, and she looked in the bag… she was furious."

"She knew about the first time?"

Jessica nodded, closing her eyes. "She was my best friend," she whispered. "She stood by me the first time I was arrested… after I was released, she told me never again. She knew my family, she'd have told them. I couldn't handle them being disappointed in me."

"You decided to kill her."

She shook her head violently. "No! I didn't know what to do. I had an emergency number to call Simon, so I did, and he told me to meet him. When I did, he gave me the methanol, told me to make her drink it. I said I wouldn't, couldn't – then he said he'd kill me if I didn't do it. He knew my name, where I lived, he'd have done it. I didn't have a choice."

"You waited for an opportunity, and when she came home drunk, you offered her one more drink… probably had one yourself, to tempt her."

Jessica closed her eyes, nodding.

Tony gathered up the pictures. "You could have gone to the police. You could have gotten help, taken Simon down. Instead, you killed your best friend." He watched her, angry at her stupidity. "You betrayed her. I hope you still think it was worth it."

Jessica broke down, sobbing.

Tony stood and headed for the door, stopping short when he felt cool air against his face. He looked at the mirror before turning back to the door, where a translucent shape was forming. Karen's ghost stood in front of him, her face clearly visible while the rest of her was a misty outline.

Jessica looked up, saw what he did, and screamed.

Karen turned toward her, staring.

Jessica screamed again; her eyes rolled up in her head, and she went limp, her body sliding down in her chair to end up in a heap on the floor.

Karen turned toward Tony again. Her form wavered, her face shifting from human to that of a wolf before it faded from view.

Tony moved quickly to Jessica, checking for a pulse. It was strong and steady. He heard the door open behind him and looked up to see Gibbs standing there. "Called for a medical team."

Tony nodded, not sure what to say.

Jessica stirred; Tony told her to lie quietly and wait for the medical team to arrive.

"What happened?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm not sure. You passed out. This has been a stressful day," he added, wincing slightly at the lame excuse.

She looked puzzled, but accepted it; she didn't seem to remember having seen Karen.

The medical team arrived; Gibbs and Tony moved into the observation room. "You saw that?" Tony asked Gibbs, who nodded.

"Better check the video… see if we have some explaining to do."

Tony's eyes widened. He grimaced, then went to the board and hit a few buttons. There was a small screen hooked into the system; it was only a few seconds before the video was playing back. They could see Tony moving to the door, see him hesitate, look back, then Jessica look up and scream, but there was no sign of the ghost on the playback.

Tony sighed in relief, sagging against Gibbs for a moment. Gibbs' hand came up to rest on his back. "You did good, Tony."

"Thanks. Changed tactics a little when she made it clear she used sex to get the charges dropped the first time."

"Worked." Gibbs ran his hand up Tony's back and through Tony's hair, squeezing the base of his neck before letting go. "Come on, we'll get her booked, and charge Taylor with conspiracy to commit murder."

Tony sighed, opening the folder to look at the picture of Karen Haynes. "So pointless. All Jessica had to do was bring in the police, play along… she might have gotten no more than probation, and Karen would be alive and end up with a litter of pups or something some day."

"Can't accuse Porter of being overly bright, Tony."

"Nope." Tony closed the folder and walked out of the room with Gibbs. "Heard anything from McGeek?"

Gibbs nodded. "They found more drugs in Taylor's place. Got his computer, some other evidence they're bringing back. We'll leave this with Agent Reece, head back to DC as soon as we have all the paperwork out of the way."

"Sounds good. Thinking we should call Erik when we get back."

"Could call from the car."

"Tim and Ziva will be driving back on their own… yeah, that could work." Tony frowned. "On the other hand, given that you'll be driving, maybe we should wait so you stay focused on the road and we don't die in a fiery wreck."

The head slap was unusually gentle.


	15. Chapter 15

Reflection

They didn't end up calling Erik from the car. Not long after setting out, Vance called Gibbs for an update on the case. Once he got what he wanted, he asked Gibbs for input on the new budget proposals. Gibbs handed his cell off to Tony, letting his senior field agent deal with that.

As soon as Tony hung up after updating Vance, Norfolk police called with some questions about Simon Taylor's charges and the evidence against him. Ziva called to ask what time they were expected in the next morning. Abby called to get her own update and receive assurances that justice had been served. She particularly liked Tony's description of Jessica Porter's interrogation, and was excited to access the video and see for herself. By the time Tony got off the phone, Gibbs' irritation was obvious, and Tony wisely decided not to broach the idea of updating the werewolves until later.

Gibbs and Tony arrived back at the Navy Yard well ahead of Tim and Ziva, who had the task of collecting evidence from Jessica's apartment. They drafted their reports, and Gibbs invited Tony to his place for a steak dinner.

Tony found himself in a pensive mood on the drive to Gibbs' house. He was still angry with Jessica for giving in to Simon's demands so easily and killing her best friend. The drive from Norfolk had given him time to think, and he was also finally letting the experiences of the past week sink in. He parked his car in the driveway, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed for the front door with his contribution of beer.

They ate in silence, Tony letting his mind wander where it would, considering everything that had happened since they found Lieutenant Conrad dead in a fountain. He occasionally glanced over at Gibbs, seeing similar thoughtfulness on his partner's face, and kept quiet.

Late evening found them in the basement, Gibbs pouring them each a shot of bourbon before settling down to sand some of the toys he'd been making for the holiday that was still half a year away. Tony seated himself on the steps for a while, watching, before finishing off his drink and taking a seat near Gibbs, picking up a toy boat and a piece of sandpaper.

"How ya doin', Tony?" Gibbs asked softly, keeping his eyes on his wooden car.

"M'ok, Jethro… just – what a long, strange trip it's been."

Gibbs glanced at him and smiled. "You stole that line."

"Yeah – but it's a good line."

"Appropriate, too."

"Yeah."

They were both silent again for a few minutes, then Gibbs spoke up. "I left a message for Erik after I got home."

"Good. Even if Karen was new to the pack, they'll still be happy to know Jessica's been dealt with."

Gibbs grunted in response, then reached for his phone when it started ringing. He frowned at the display. "Vance," he muttered, putting the phone on speaker before setting it down on the table. "Yeah, Gibbs."

" _Gibbs, what the hell did DiNozzo do to your suspect when he interrogated her?"_

"More than a suspect, Leon, she confessed."

" _What happened in interrogation?"_

"Interrogation happened in interrogation." Gibbs shook his head, rolling his eyes and shooting a small smile in Tony's direction. "Why don't you tell me what the problem is?"

There was a sound of shuffling paper. _"Palmer's lawyer –"_

Tony spoke up. "Palmer? Why does Jimmy need a lawyer?"

Vance cursed quietly. _"DiNozzo?"_

"Here, Director."

" _Thank you, Gibbs, for telling me I'm on speaker. Although this does make things easier. What the hell's the girl's name?"_

"Porter. Jessica Porter."

" _Right. Porter's lawyer called, says he's filing a complaint. Says the girl keeps waking up screaming."_

"Because of my interrogation?"

" _So he says. Says she passed out?"_

"Watch the video, Leon… Tony didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Got a confession, told her off for being an idiot." Gibbs shook his head, muttering something under his breath.

" _I'm guessing we're both lucky I couldn't understand that. DiNozzo, what happened?"_

"I don't know, sir. She'd confessed, I was on my way out of the room, she screamed and passed out. We got medical help in there pretty quickly."

" _You never touched her?"_

"Are you kidding me, Leon?" Gibbs growled. "Tony's a pro. Been at this way too long to make that kind of rookie mistake. Maybe the girl's conscience is bothering her. She murdered her roommate so she could keep running drugs."

They could hear Vance sigh. _"I'll watch the video. Be available in case I have questions."_ He hung up.

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other. Tony smiled wryly. "Guess Karen's getting her revenge."

Gibbs considered that. "Think she's haunting her?"

"Maybe… although that doesn't seem like something a werewolf would do. Especially if there's this other dimension they can go to, or whatever."

"Huh." Gibbs sanded for a few more minutes. "Maybe Porter's remembering in her dreams, but not when she's awake."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Kinda deep for you, Boss."

Gibbs snorted. "You know better than to call me that at home, Tony."

"Well, Vance called to chew me out. Makes me revert to work settings, or something."

Gibbs smiled, then frowned again when the phone rang. He put it on speaker again. "Yeah, Gibbs."

" _Agent Gibbs, this is Erik."_

"Hey, Erik!" Tony called out. "You're not out hunting?"

" _We were, but one of the kids was too ambitious, went after a healthy buck, got kicked in the head for his trouble. Had to shift human to bring him back to town for some help."_

"He gonna be okay?"

" _Doc says yes. His head will be ringing for a while, but he should be fine. Many of us learn caution this way."_

"Sounds like a blast."

"Probably felt like one, too," Gibbs added, lips quirking into a slight smile.

Tony grinned. "You made a joke!"

Erik laughed. _"I did get the impression that doesn't happen too often."_

"Used to," Tony said thoughtfully. When Gibbs looked at him, Tony mouthed, 'Kate.' Gibbs tilted his head, thinking, then nodded.

" _Anyway,"_ Erik continued, _"I got your message. I'm glad to know Karen's killer has confessed."_

"Karen got some of her own revenge," Tony commented. "She showed up after Jessica confessed. Jessica could see her, screamed, and passed out. Apparently she isn't sleeping too well; she keeps waking up screaming."

" _That's interesting. From what I've been told, we don't usually stick around for that long. Hold on a sec."_

It was about a minute before they heard Aleksandra's voice. _"Tell me what happened."_

Tony described the end of the interrogation.

" _What did Karen's ghost look like?"_

"Sort of misty, except her face was clearly visible. She changed into a wolf after Jessica fainted, and then just faded away."

Aleksandra was silent for a moment. _"She has crossed to the other dimension,"_ she stated firmly. _"Thank you for helping her."_

"Of course. What are friends for?"

" _You've already proven yourself a true Wolf-Friend, Tony,"_ Erik said. _"You'll always be welcome here."_

" _Agent Gibbs,"_ Aleksandra said.

"Yeah."

" _I was thinking, perhaps you should be made a Wolf-Friend as well. It would give us an excuse to dance together again."_ There was a slight growl in Aleksandra's voice.

Gibbs cleared his throat, but was saved from answering by Erik cutting in. _"Ignore her, Agent Gibbs."_ They could hear Aleksandra laughing, the sound fading as she walked away. _"She is enjoying keeping a pack leader off balance."_

"My balance is just fine."

"No, it's not," Tony interjected, dodging the resulting head slap.

Erik laughed. _"We would enjoy having you all visit again, without a murder this time. We could consider it a cultural exchange."_

"Could Abby come? Our forensic scientist… she met Patryk and Daniel, but had to stay behind."

" _If you vouch for her, she is more than welcome."_

"She's gonna freak," Tony said to Gibbs.

" _I'll let you go… the doctor wishes to give me an update, and we have a few kills to deal with. Say hi to Tim for me – and your female, of course. Siva?"_

"Ziva. Will do, Erik, thanks." Tony reached for the phone and ended the call. "Wonder why he can't remember her name?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Just don't tell her."

Tony shook his head vigorously. "No worries there."

They went back to sanding for a while, until Tony sat back, staring at the table. "Jethro… we were just talking with werewolves. About visiting. The way people visit friends. Human friends. We're going to visit werewolf friends. Oh, and we're ghost magnets. How is this our life?"

Gibbs sighed, set the toy and sandpaper down, got up to pour more shots, handed one to Tony, and sat back down before raising his jar. Tony clinked their jars together, and they both drank.

Gibbs set his jar down and sat back, keeping one hand on the jar and turning it absently on the table top. "It's weird… but without what happened in that hotel, we might not be where we are now." He glanced over at Tony.

"Friends with werewolves and ghost magnets? Not to mention, what did Ducky call that thing… kelpie magnets?"

Gibbs sighed heavily. "Together, Tony. I meant us, together."

Tony grinned. "I know."

Gibbs muttered something under his breath again. Tony frowned. "I think I agree with Vance… probably a good thing I didn't hear that."

Gibbs suddenly laughed. "Know what, Tone?"

Tony smiled. "What?"

"I'll take all the ghosts and goblins if I get you in the bargain."

Tony reached out and took Gibbs' hand. "We haven't seen any goblins, Jethro."

Gibbs shook his head. "Tony…"

"Just keeping you a little off balance, Jethro. Sort of thing a Wolf-Friend ought to do for his pack leader every so often, don't you think?"

From outside the basement window, a stooped form could hear the sound of a hand striking the back of a head and the laughter that followed. It tilted its head, watching curiously as the two men drew closer to each other and kissed before getting up and moving toward the stairs. It watched them ascend, waiting until the light turned off before straightening up to its full height. It stood, too tall and thin to be human, and what might have looked like a cape to someone passing by unfurled to form wings. The creature lifted off the ground and soared away, disappearing into the night.

The End


End file.
